Sunday, January 10, 2021

Spineless and spiteful

I know that by now I shouldn't be remotely surprised by anything the Tories do. I know that. And yet the revelation that they not only rejected the EU's offer of visa-free tours for musicians but also had the sheer gall to blame the EU for the decision beggars belief.

For an industry already on its knees, this is a staggering blow - a petty, pathetic consequence of the government's pig-headed pursuit of "sovereignty" (whatever the fuck that actually means) by ending freedom of movement for all.

Given the enormous contribution of the music sector to the UK economy (compared to that of the fishing industry, just to pluck an example from the air), it's not so much a case of shooting yourself in the foot as amputating your legs at the hip. It's also further proof that the Tories' war on culture is very real.

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