ABO welcomes new government

Florence Lockheart
Friday, July 5, 2024

The Association of British Orchestras asks new prime minister Keir Starmer to take ‘a joined-up, cross departmental approach’ to the UK’s classical music ecosystem

©Adobe Stock
©Adobe Stock

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) has today welcomed the UK’s new prime minister and Labour government. Having won yesterday’s election by a landslide majority of 176 seats at time of reporting (two more seats have yet to be announced), Sir Keir Starmer is expected to appoint his cabinet later today.

In a letter published this morning, the ABO has called on the country’s new leader to ‘invest in and support’ the UK’s orchestral sector and wider classical music sector, and said the organisation ‘looks forward to working positively and constructively with this new Government.’

In particular, the ABO encourages Sir Keir to support the UK’s orchestral sector through ensuring access to music education, removing barriers for touring musicians, supporting orchestras’ value in community, health and social care and increasing investment in the classical music sector

You can find the full letter below:

The ABO welcomes Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer as the UK’s Prime Minister and sets out the hopes and expectations of the UK’s orchestral sector from the new Labour Government.

This is a pivotal moment for the new Government to work together with the UK creative industries to make meaningful change for the wider economic and social good of people across the country.

The work of UK orchestras is a key part of this, bringing joy and connection to millions in concert halls at home and abroad, and making a real impact on people’s lives in education and local community settings across the UK, from schools to care homes.

With a recent Opinium survey showing that 74% of people believe that orchestras are a vital part of the country’s cultural heritage, and seven in ten of UK adults believing that music is an important part of their wellbeing, it is vital that the new Government and Parliament take positive, proactive steps to support the UK orchestral sector.

We encourage Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer and his Government to take a joined-up, cross Departmental approach with a commitment to:

  • Ensure access to high-quality music education and creative subjects for all children and young people, investing in music education and enabling the development of skills and a future, homegrown and diverse talent pipeline.
  • Support UK orchestras as purveyors of the UK’s cultural soft power by removing international touring barriers and fostering international cultural exchange by making it easier to bring in foreign talent into the UK.
  • Harness the role of music and UK orchestras in local communities and in health and social care.
  • Sustain and increase investment in the classical music sector.

British orchestras are some of the UK’s most globally admired and influential cultural organisations. They are a vital part of a UK music industry which contribute £6.7billion to the UK economy, play to nearly 5 million people in over 4,000 concerts and performances across the UK per year and use their international renown to take the best of British culture across the globe. A significant employer, with a highly skilled workforce, UK orchestras are a pillar of the UK’s creative industries, a strategic growth sector which grew at twice the rate of the UK economy in the last decade.

We urge Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer’s Government to invest in and support this thriving, diverse and innovative sector.

The ABO looks forward to working positively and constructively with this new Government.