2021 October 19

As a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Music, I attended a meeting on Tuesday 19 October organised by UK Music to launch their latest report.  The meeting was addressed by UK Music’s Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin.

Jamie for the presented the finding’s of UK Music’s report which looks at the devastating impact that the pandemic has had on musicians and music industry. The report found that in 2020, the music industry contributed £3.1 billion to the UK economy which showed that there was a 46% decrease from £5.8 billion in 2019. 

I showed my support on Tuesday  19 October 2021 for the Long Live the Local Campaign.  Launched in 2018, the campaign  raised awareness on July 6th 2021 to celebrate the important social, cultural and economic role pubs and breweries play in Britain, and to remind people that they cannot take them for granted. Britain’s pubs and breweries contribute £26.2bn GVA and supports 936,000 jobs. The Campaign among other issues calls on the Government to invest in pubs and breweries through the reform of the unfair tax burden – specifically lower VAT & Business Rates for pubs and lower Beer Duty.

On Tuesday 19 October I asked the Minister for Health and Social Care to meet with me to discuss the downgrading of Walsall Manor Hospital. The Minister agreed to meet with me to further explore the downgrading of existing hospitals.