Ticketing amendments rejected by House of Commons
Fresh legislation that would impact the secondary ticketing market has been rejected in the House of Commons.
The amendments to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill called for requirements to be imposed on resale platforms regarding “proof of purchase, ticket number limits and the provision of information, with the aim of reducing fraud”.
“I do not want to stop any fans from reselling their tickets if they can no longer go to the event. I just want the industrial-scale, parasitic scalping to stop,” said Labour MP Sharon Hodgson, a longtime campaigner against industrial-scale ticket touting. “However, until we get to that point – and while the Conservatives are still in government—it is important that current legislation is made as effective as possible. They could ensure that now.
“The small measures that we are talking about do not go as far as we plan to go, but they would be a start in preventing consumer harm and making it harder for bad actors to thrive.”
Fellow Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant added: “If the minister goes to the Viagogo website and tries to buy a ticket, he will see on the first page that it says the ticket is £420 or whatever. Can he see the original value of the ticket? No. Can he see whether it is a validly purchased ticket? No. That is the problem that the amendment would solve. It would be simple for the government to agree to the amendment and then we can get the Bill through.”
Nevertheless, the proposed changes were voted out by MPs yesterday (30 April), as business minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “We believe those provisions are already there,” and admitted to using resale platform Viagogo himself in the past.
“I have quite happily used Viagogo on many occasions, as other people have when reselling tickets”
“I have quite happily used Viagogo on many occasions, as other people have when reselling tickets,” said the Conservative MP. “Of course we will keep looking at the primary and secondary markets, and at the interaction between the two, so that we can develop the right way to regulate the market, in a future parliament.”
The suggested requirements for resale sites were in line with the recommendations made in a 2021 report by the Competition and Markets Authority to tighten laws around online ticket touting, which were rejected by the UK government in May last year, with then business secretary Hollinrake saying he was “not convinced” by the need for additional legislative changes.
The amendments to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers will potentially return to the House of Lords for further discussion at a later date.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer recently pledged to introduce new legislation to cap ticket resale if the party wins the next general election. Measures would include restricting the resale of tickets at more than a small, set percentage above face value, and limiting the number of tickets individual resellers can list. But Viagogo global MD Cris Miller claimed that while the move is “well-intentioned”, “price caps just don’t work”.
“What happens with price caps is that the highest-demand part of the market, where you might see prices go above the original price, will just get driven underground,” Miller told the Guardian.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
UK culture minister: free movement “essential” for artists
The UK minister for sport, media and creative industries, Nigel Adams, has stated that the UK government will endeavour to support continued freedom of movement for touring musicians after the country leaves the European Union on 31 January.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday (21 January), Adams stressed the importance of touring – “the lifeblood of the industry” – and of freedom of movement for “musicians, equipment and merchandise”.
“Visa rules for artists performing in the EU will not change until the implementation period ends in December 2020. It’s absolutely essential that free movement for artists is protected post-2020,” said Adams.
Michael Dugher, former CEO of umbrella body UK Music, previously described the prospect of losing free movement as “a death knell for touring”, with many other industry figures raising concerns over the additional costs, delays and red tape artists would face in a post-Brexit world.
“It’s absolutely essential that free movement for artists is protected post-2020”
The minster also stated the government was committed to supporting the “fantastic UK music industry at home and abroad”, adding that a “comprehensive music strategy” needed to be implemented to ensure the industry “continues to be the envy of the world”.
The Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music, Conor McGinn, noted that the UK music industry “punches well above its weight economically”, citing the £5.2 billion it generates each year, as well as having a “profound effect on health and wellbeing”.
McGinn admitted that “challenges still exist” with regards to business rates for music venues – which were addressed both in the ruling Conservative Party manifesto and in the Queen’s speech – asking when relief would come in.
The debate was praised by Tom Kiehl, deputy CEO of UK Music, who says: “I would like to thank all the MPs from across the political spectrum who made such brilliant and heartfelt contributions about the importance of the UK music industry to our economy and society.
“We look forward to working with [Adams] on the new music strategy and a host of other areas to continue to grow our industry.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
UK debates banning flares and fireworks at music events
The British parliament is to debate whether to ban the carrying or use of flares, fireworks and smoke bombs by audience members at concerts and music festivals.
Nigel Adams, the member of parliament for Selby and Ainsty in Yorkshire and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music, which provides a discussion forum between the UK music industry and parliamentarians, will argue the case today with a 10-minute rule motion in the House of Commons.
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to bring this issue before the house,” says Adams (pictured). “Many people I talk to are stunned to find out that carrying and deploying flares and fireworks in the crowd at a live music event is not banned, unlike at football matches, where spectators can count on the protection of the law.
“It’s time we make the law on these dangerous articles consistent at both music and sporting events”
“This measure has support across the board – from fans wanting to focus on the music [to] performers wanting to put on a good uninterrupted show and organisers wanting to provide a safe event – as well as from MPs right across the house. It’s time we make the law on these dangerous articles consistent at both music and sporting events.”
There were 255 incidents involving flares and fireworks in music audiences in 2014 compared to three at football grounds in the same period.
The motion will not seek to ban allowing artists and promoters to use pyrotechnics in their shows.