Thread by @iamrookes

Okay, so Radio 5 didn't put me on air. But here's what I would have said. @WeAreTheMU @ukMPG @FeaturedArtists

We are 6 months deep now, but we need to understand that the #musicindustry contributes significantly towards the UK economy: in 2018 it contributed £5.2 BILLION. ⬇️

Which, when you compare it to the £1.5 Billion the government offered in the July package (which was grants AND loans, btw - OH HELLO MORE DEBT) to the ENTIRE arts and heritage sector, is shocking. Because £1.5 billion is a lot of money, BUT not even 1/3 of what... ⬇️

the music industry alone can make in 1 year. And that £1.5 billion has to be shared between all the arts & heritage sectors. So: museums and conservation, dance, theatre, film, spoken word, visual arts, publishing, television AND music. Just categories off the top of my head. ⬇️

But let's use them as an example, for now. If the July package was split evenly (which it wouldn't be, but stay with me) between those 9 disciplines, that would mean about £174 million would be made available to music. Still sounds like a lot of money. But remember... ⬇️

...that's £174 million to cover a £5.2 BILLION industry. £5.2 billion is 30 times bigger than £174 million. Which would mean the government was offering the music industry TO SURVIVE less than 4% of what it made for the UK IN A YEAR.

Yes, that is indeed a red flag 🚩 Read on ⬇️

Let's talk about the SEISS (Self Employed Income Support Scheme), which allows you to claim money if you make a profit on your business. The music industry is made up of a tremendous number of freelancers, and many of us just about break even on our business. So... ⬇️

SEISS doesn't help us. 🚩 The government knows this is a problem (hence many MPs and press asking the Chancellor about it & his artfully ducking the questions after both his House of Commons address and press conference today) but doesn't want to do anything about it. Hence... ⬇️

the announcement today that SEISS will continue to be run in a "similar" way. Meaning: it will continue to benefit the same people who qualified for it before, and those who are falling through the cracks will continue to do so. 🚩 And so now we come to... ⬇️

Universal Credit MIGHT help, but only if you don't have any savings left and even then it might barely be enough to cover your rent. 🚩 Note: I was lucky to get Universal Credit, but this was because when the pandemic struck I happened to be rounding off... ⬇️

an EP release campaign cycle. Like many independent artists, I had thrown all my time, money and energy into the release and was looking at a healthy string of tour dates to help replenish the depleted funds. But COVID took the tour dates, 😩 so I was left with nothing. But... ⬇️

I DID get UC because of it. Grateful as I am, it still strikes me as awful that you have to be at the very bottom of the pit to get help, and even then there is no guarantee.🚩 So where does that leave us? ... ⬇️

🚩With 3 million people who fall through the cracks. Who the government is encouraging to get loans, and get into debt that they could be tied to for up to ten years.
🚩With 34% of musicians seriously considering giving up their precious careers in order to survive...

... and another 37% unsure. That's 71%, gang.
🚩 With 88% of musicians not feeling supported by the government.
🚩With most studios receiving no grants or rates despite voluntarily closing during lockdown to protect the public.
If we don't get help soon, at least... ⬇️

a THIRD of the industry - this £5.2 billion industry - will be gone. This is a DISASTER. Today the Chancellor talked about ‘viable jobs’ like they were a monolith, with a skew towards larger & more prosperous businesses, invalidating those who fell outside of those businesses ⬇️

& continuing to reinforce a culture of invalidation towards music industry workers. When he was picked up on that wording in the press, the Chancellor backtracked by claiming that it wasn’t for him to say - but the trouble is, by inference, he already has... ⬇️

By failing to properly address this question of those who fall through the cracks of current government schemes, he invalidates OUR jobs. But they are REAL jobs. They brought in £5.2 billion, after all. It's convenient to treat music like it’s a luxury or a commodity, but... ⬇️

you can guarantee most people are using music EVERY DAY. They are streaming on Spotify, listening to the radio, buying vinyl, watching a movie with a SOUNDTRACK, thinking about whether they can afford Glastonbury tickets next year. ⚡️ NEWSFLASH... Guess what? ⬇️

That’s us. That’s the music industry. We make those things happen. Don't let us go. 💔
Head on over here ⬇️ to write to your MP via @WeAreTheMU or tweet the Chancellor at @RishiSunak to tell him this isn't enough.

https://twitter.com/WeAreTheMU/status/1309205970707312640?s=20