Responding to the news that the UK rejected the offer of visa-free tours for musicians in the EU, Liberal Democrat Culture spokesperson Jamie Stone said: “The government must provide urgent clarification on what was offered by the EU to enable visa-free touring by UK artists and their crew. Once Covid restrictions are lifted, British artists need to be able to work across the EU with the same ability that has been negotiated for other sectors.
“The Government’s rampage to end free movement will damage our economy, our creativity and our standing in the world. This trade deal is the first trade deal in history to put up barriers to trade instead of tearing them down.
“These new restrictions are a blow to the music industry, which has already suffered so much during the pandemic, and will disadvantage young aspiring musicians the most and may make touring financially impossible for some.
“Live music transcends cultural boundaries and brings people together. Making it more expensive adding overheads further damages an already devastated arts and culture sector which contributes £10.8 billion to the UK economy and is respected throughout the world.”