All Party Writers Group Winter Reception

I attended a Winter Reception hosted by the All Party Writers Group in Parliament on Tuesday 5 December 2023 where the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) introduced a report to be published in 2024 that found earnings from freelance journalism have stagnated over the past five years.

The APPG discussed the need for a Freelancer Commissioner to be appointed to the Government to represent the interests of freelance creatives.

During the pandemic, 3.1 million freelancers did not receive the support they needed, and the creation of a Freelancer Commissioner would be a step forward for creatives and especially writers. Newsrooms rely increasingly on freelancers who have been affected by waves of redundancies and not being paid enough or not being paid on time.