Please read and ACT

To: Hamish Birchall
Subject: Licensing Bill - live music: 138 sympathetic Labour MPs?


Please circulate

Last year 138 Labour MPs (out of a total of 233) signed Early Day Motion 1182, by David Heath, which condemned the current PEL regime as 'archaic and just plain daft'. At the time MPs did not realise that the Government planned to replace the current laws with a modern but still plain daft regime as far as live music is concerned.

See below for a list of those Labour MPs, their constituencies and email addresses (where available). Is one of them your MP? If so, please consider sending them an email, fax or letter, asking that they think twice before voting in support of the Licensing Bill when it comes up for Commons debate in June. It is possible to fax most MPs direct from www.faxyourmp.com (the site automatically identifies MPs from post codes). The snail mail address is House of Commons, London SW1A OAA.

It is always better to choose your own form of words, but here is a draft which may help:

~ ~ ~

Dear ..........

Licensing Bill - live music

As a constituent I am very concerned that, in spite of Government amendments, the Bill is fundamentally flawed. I would urge you to think very carefully before voting in support of the Licensing Bill at Report/3rd Reading.

You were among 233 MPs who signed EDM 1182 during the last Parliamentary session. EDM 1182 stressed the cultural and economic value of live music, and condemned the two in a bar rule and the present PEL regime as 'archaic and just plain daft'. Clearly, legislation which automatically criminalises the provision of unlicensed small-scale performance in every case is daft when compared with the entertainment licensing exemption for jukeboxes and big screen broadcasts, no matter how powerfully amplified. This is arbitrary and unjustified discrimination against live music.

How much better is the Government's new regime, set out in the Licensing Bill? It proposes to criminalise the provision of an advertised performance in a bar even by one unknown musician, performing without amplification, unless this activity is explicitly authorised under the new premises licence, or covered by a Temporary Event licence. Providing a piano for public entertainment use in a bar becomes a criminal offence, unless similarly licensed. The maximum penalty is still a £20,000 fine and six months in prison. The Government says this is essential for safety and noise reasons.

However, the provision of jukeboxes and big screen broadcast entertainment remains exempt, no matter how powerfully amplified or widely advertised, or that those who attend broadcast entertainment are prone to spill out onto the street afterwards looking for a fight. Just before the Licensing Bill was published, the Association of Chief Police Officers wrote to the Department for Culture warning that televised sporting events 'are quite frequently a source of disorder'.

Instead of seizing the historic opportunity to rethink entertainment licensing, the 'new' regime repeats and extends the present arbitrary and unjustified discrimination against live music, and the unduly harsh penalty. The Government appears to believe that, having accepted the principle of an 'incidental' music exemption, musicians should be content. But the Culture Minister has announced in Committee that anything advertised would be unlikely to fall within the exemption. Most solo and duo performances in bars and restaurants, currently exempt, are advertised and will therefore become a criminal offence (for landlords) unless licensed under the new regime. Most acoustic folk and jazz sessions are also advertised, and they too would become illegal unless licensed.

The Musicians' Union, and other performers' organisations, believe that some form of small events exemption for the performing arts would restore proportionality. This view is shared by lawyers who also conclude that, even as amended, the Bill remains incompatible with musicians' right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention. The new Licensing Act is likely to be on the statute books for a very long time. Don't let the new legislation repeat the injustice of the old. I would be grateful if you would urge the Government to reconsider its position on this very important issue.

Yours etc

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List of Labour MPs who signed EDM 1182:

Diane Abbott, Hackney North & Stoke Newington, carbye@parliament.uk
Janet Anderson, Rossendale & Darwen, andersonj@parliament.uk
Candy Atherton, Falmouth & Camborne, athertonc@parliament.uk
Tony Banks, West Ham, [no email]
Hugh Bayley, City of York, dellaganal@parliament.uk
Roger Berry, Kingswood, berryr@parliament.uk
Harold Best, Leeds North West, besth@parliament.uk
Clive Betts, Sheffield Attercliffe, bettsc@parliament.uk
Liz Blackman, Erewash, blackmanl@parliament.uk
Keith Bradley, Manchester Withington, keithbradley@parliament.uk
Kevin Brennan, Carfiff West, brennank@parliament.uk
Russell Brown, Dumfries, russell@brown.new.labour.org.uk
Chris Bryant, Rhondda, bryantc@parliament.uk
Karen Buck, Regent's Park & Kensington North, k.buck@rpkn-labour.co.uk
Colin Burgon, Elmet, fratont@parliament.uk
Andy Burnham, Leigh, burnhama@parliament.uk
Ronnie Campbell, Blyth Valley, ronnie@campbell.abelgratis.com
Roger Casale, Wimbledon, casaler@parliament.uk
Martin Caton, Gower, martin.caton@politics.demon.co.uk
Colin Challen, Morley & Rothwell, colinchallen@parliament.uk
David Chaytor, Bury North, chaytord@parliament.uk
Michael Clapham, Barnsley West & Penistone, claphamm@parliament.uk
Helen Clark, Peterborough, paunm@parliament.uk
Harry Cohen, Leyton & Wanstead, cohenh@parliament.uk
Iain Coleman, Hammersmith & Fulham, sheenanj@parliament.uk
Tony Colman, Putney, colmant@parliament.uk
Michael Connarty, Falkirk East, connartym@parliament.uk
Frank Cook, Stockton North, cookf@parliament.uk
Jeremy Corbyn, Islington North, corbynj@parliament.uk
John Cruddas, Dagenham, [no email]
Ann Cryer, Keighley, rowenc@parliament.uk
John Cummings, Easington, cummingsj@parliament.uk
Jim Cunningham, Coventry South, [no email]
Paul Daisley, Brent East, crained@parliament.uk
Tam Dalyell, Linlithgow, [no email]
Valerie Davey, Bristol West, valdavey@labourbriswest.demon.co.uk
Wayne David, Caerphilly, davidw@parliament.uk
Geraint Davies, Croydon Central, geraintdavies@parliament.uk
Janet Dean, Burton, mcgirrc@parliament.uk
Parmjit Dhanda, Gloucester, dhandap@parliament.uk
Andrew Dismore, Hendon, andrewdismore@parliament.uk
Jim Dobbin, Heywood & Middleton, jim.dobbin.constituency@btinternet.com
Frank Dobson, Holborn & St Pancras, frank.dobson@geo2.poptel.org.uk
Jim Dowd, Lewisham West, jimdowd.newlabour@care4free.net
David Drew, Stroud, drewd@parliament.uk
Julia Drown, South Swindon, juliadrown@parliament.uk
Gwyneth Dunwoody, Crewe & Nantwich, info@gwynethdunwoody.co.uk
Angela Eagle, Wallasey, eaglea@parliament.uk
Huw Edwards, Monmouth, edwardsh@parliament.uk
Jeff Ennis, Barnsley East & Mexborough, ennisj@parliament.uk
Bill Etherington, Sunderland North, [no email]
Paul Farrelly, Newcastle-under-Lyme, farrellyp@parliament.uk
Frank Field, Birkenhead, hendeyj@parliament.uk
Mark Fisher, Stoke-on-Trent Central, markfisher@parliament.uk
Paul Flynn, Newport West, paulflynn@talk21.com
Barbara Follett, Stevenage, barbara@barbara-follett.org.uk
Dr Hywel Francis, Aberavon, francish@parliament.uk
Mike Gapes, Ilford South, gapesm@parliament.uk
Bruce George, Walsall South, georgeb@parliament.uk
Dr Ian Gibson, Norwich North, gibsoni@parliament.uk
Roger Godsiff, Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath, [no email]
John Grogan, Selby, selby@johngrogan.u-net.com
David Hamilton, Midlothian, hamiltonda@parliament.uk
Mark Hendrick, Preston, hendrickm@parliament.uk
Stephen Hepburn, Jarrow, hepburns@parliament.uk
David Heyes, Ashton-under-Lyne, heyesd@parliament.uk
Kate Hoey, Vauxhall, hoeyk@parliament.uk
Kelvin Hopkins, Luton North, hopkinsk@parliament.uk
Lindsay Hoyle, Chorley, wilsonp@parliament.uk
Joan Humble, Blackpool North & Fleetwood, sue@humble.freeserve.co.uk
Alan Hurst, Braintree, [no email]
Dr Brian Iddon, Bolton South East, iddonb@parliament.uk
Helen Jackson, Sheffield, Hillsborough, jacksonh@parliament.uk
Brian Jenkins, Tamworth, purvisc@parliament.uk
Kevan Jones, North Durham, kevanjones@parliament.uk
Martyn Jones, Clwyd South, jonesst@parliament.uk
Alan Keen, Brentford & Isleworth, alankeen@parliament.uk
Piara S Khabra, Ealing Southall, contact@ealing-southall-clp.new.labour.org.uk
Jim Knight, South Dorset, jim@labour4dorset.net or jimknightmp@parliament.uk
David Lepper, Brighton, Pavilion, lepperd@parliament.uk
Tony Lloyd, Manchester Central, lloydt@parliament.uk
Ian Lucas, Wrexham, lucasi@parliament.uk
John Mann, Bassetlaw, mannj@parliament.uk
Rob Marris, Wolverhampton South West, robmarris@wolvessw.fsnet.co.uk
Andrew Mackinlay, Thurrock, morrisc@parliament.uk
Gordon Marsden, Blackpool South, pauleyo@parliament.uk
Bob Marshall-Andrews QC, Medway, marshallandrewsr@parliament.uk
Siobhain McDonagh, Mitcham & Morden, mcdonaghs@parliament.uk
Kevin McNamara, Kingston upon Hull North, kevinmcnamara@parliament.uk
Tony McWalter, Hemel Hempstead, tony.mcwalter@geo2.poptel.org.uk
Austin Mitchell, Great Grimsby, mitchellau@parliament.uk
Laura Moffatt, Crawley, moffattl@parliament.uk
Chris Mole, Ipswich, molec@parliament.uk
Julie Morgan, Cardiff North, morganj@parliament.uk
Meg Munn, Sheffield, Heeley, munnm@parliament.uk
Dr Doug Naysmith, Bristol North West, naysmithd@parliament.uk
Martin O'Neill, Ochil, cartere@parliament.uk
Diana Organ, Forest of Dean, robinsonj@parliament.uk
Peter L Pike, Burnley, peterpike@parliament.uk
Kerry Pollard, St Albans, pollardk@btclick.com
Greg Pope, Hyndburn, popegj@parliament.uk
Stephen Pound, Ealing North, stevepound@parliament.uk
Gwyn Prosser, Dover, prosserg@parliament.uk
James Purnell, Stalybridge & Hyde, purnelkj@parliament.uk
Syd Rapson, Portsmouth North, rapsons@parliament.uk
John Robertson, Glasgow Anniesland, robertsonjo@parliament.uk
Geoffrey Robinson, Coventry North West, geoffrey@newstatesman.co.uk
Chris Ruane, Vale of Clwyd, ruanec@parliament.uk
Joan Ruddock, Lewisham, Deptford, alexanderh@parliament.uk
Christine Russell, City of Chester, russellcm@parliament.uk
Phil Sawford, Kettering, philsawford@parliament.uk
Brian Sedgemore, Hackney South & Shoreditch, sedgemoreb@parliament.uk
Jonathan R Shaw, Chatham & Aylesford, shawj@parliament.uk
Barry Sheerman, Huddersfield, sheermanb@parliament.uk
Sion Simon, Birmingham, Erdington, contact@sionsimon.new.labour.org.uk
Alan Simpson, Nottingham South, simpsona@parliament.uk
Dennis Skinner, Bolsover, [no email]
Chris Smith, Islington South & Finsbury, barans@parliament.uk
Geraldine Smith, Morecambe & Lunesdale, [no email]
John P Smith, Vale of Glamorgan, smithj@parliament.uk
Gerry Steinberg, City of Durham, [no email]
David Stewart, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, stewartd@parliament.uk
Paul Stinchcombe, Wellingborough, cooperde@parliament.uk
Gavin Strang, Edinburgh East & Musselburgh, gillana@parliament.uk
David Taylor, North West Leicestershire, taylord@parliament.uk
Mark Todd, South Derbyshire, hawd@parliament.uk
Dennis Turner, Wolverhampton South East, [no email]
Dr Desmond Turner, Brighton, Kemptown, turnerd@parliament.uk
Bill Tynan, Hamilton South, tynanb@parliament.uk
Dr Rudi Vis, Finchley & Golders Green, visr@parliament.uk
Brian White, North East Milton Keynes, whitebar@parliament.uk
Betty Williams, Conwy, bettywilliams@parliament.uk
Mike Wood, Batley & Spen, mike.wood@geo2.poptel.org.uk
Tony Worthington, Clydebank & Milngavie, worthingtont@parliament.uk
James Wray, Glasgow Baillieston, fisht@parliament.uk
David Wright, Telford, wrighta@parliament.uk
Derek Wyatt, Sittingbourne & Sheppey, wyattd@parliament.uk