Creative Industries Federation lobbies politicians in run-up to general election

The Creative Industries Federation has lobbied Government with a post-election plan, which includes greater investment in creative education, and ensuring the rights of creative Europeans to stay in the UK.

Prime minister Theresa May announced last week that there would be a snap general election on 8 June, which she hopes will secure the Conservatives’ place in Government while the party is ahead in opinion polls, and therefore her Brexit plan.

The Federation’s election manifesto lays out what the organisation wants following the general election in June.

Ensure political parties “discuss” creative industries

Its 10-point list of demands looks at business and education, and aims to ensure that there will be “discussion of the arts and creative industries during the election campaign”.

Business

For business, the manifesto includes ensuring EU creative workers are top of the list for visas, enabling them to work and study in the UK; retaining intellectual property rights; increasing exports for small businesses; increasing funding, tax breaks and Government support for creative businesses through Enterprise Zones; setting up a business advice centre that also provides financial support; and increasing the financial growth of the creative sector.

Education

In terms of education, it includes setting up a commission group to promote skills and improve the teaching of creative subjects; a career advice campaign, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds; ensuring schools must teach at least one creative subject to be eligible for an Ofsted “outstanding” rating; and securing funding for museums, and cultural institutions.

The Federation hopes its plan will inform the decisions of whichever political party wins the election, to help “the economy and society” in “post-Brexit Britain”.

Creative industries contributes £87bn to economy

“The creative industries are the fastest growing part of the UK’s economy, contributing £87bn,” says the Federation. “This is four times the amount produced by the automotive industry, six times that of life sciences and 10 times that of aerospace.”

Between 2011-2015, the creative industries also generated three times more jobs than the UK economy as a whole, the Federation says.

It adds: “As other countries are now prioritising the sector, we cannot take our global pre-eminence for granted.”

Read the manifesto in full here.