Labour government welcomed by UK publishing sector

The Publishers Association has expressed its support for the new Labour government in the UK, reiterating its optimism that the political party recognises “the importance of the UK’s creative industries.”

Labour government promises collaboration with publishing industry

Following a landslide victory, Labour secured 412 seats, ushering in Keir Starmer as the new prime minister, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, issued a statement seen by How To Be Books, celebrating the shift in governance.

“After a seismic night in British politics, we welcome the new government and stand ready to help it deliver its commitments. UK publishing is world-leading, with the creativity, innovation, and passion to drive growth and create opportunities for all,” Conway said. He stressed the association’s optimism, stating, “We are optimistic that Labour’s recognition of the importance of the UK’s creative industries and research institutions provides a strong basis for collaboration over the coming years.”

Conway outlined potential areas of collaboration, noting, “Whether it’s in supporting growth through publishers’ world-beating exports or delivering opportunities for every child through books and reading, publishing can be a key partner to the new government in delivering its priorities. We are keen to build on our existing strong relationships and work with new ministers on a wide range of policy issues, from making sure AI opportunities deliver for everyone to ensuring academic publishers are at the heart of driving research and innovation.”

Society of Authors outlines key policy priorities

The Society of Authors (SoA) has also addressed several policies they hope the new government will prioritise. The SoA highlighted key areas needing attention, including the regulation of artificial intelligence, protection against unfair contract terms, better support for freelance creators, and a more supportive tax and benefits infrastructure for creative professionals.

Regarding AI, the SoA questioned, “How will you regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to protect creative careers?” They advocated for legislation to regulate AI developers to ensure transparency, proper credit, payment, and consent from creators before using their works.

On fairer contracts, the SoA asked, “Will you legislate to protect authors and other creators against unfair contract terms?” They urged for legislation to address unfair terms and ensure a fair share of rewards throughout the value chain, referencing recommendations from the “Creator Remuneration” report by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

The SoA also called for better support for freelance creators, asking, “Will you ensure freelancers have access to statutory sick pay and parental leave?” They echoed calls from ALCS for the appointment of a Freelancer Commissioner.

On tax and benefits, they queried, “Will you train Job Centre and local authority officials to understand how tax and benefits rules apply to creative professionals?” They stressed the need for assessors to be aware of creators’ working practices and proposed income averaging over two years to support benefits eligibility.

Read: UK publishing sector contributes £11bn to the economy

Funding for the arts was another key concern. The SoA asked, “Will you ensure that public funding for arts, literacy and culture is sufficient to meet the minimum standards of pay and engagement of creators, and to ensure the survival and growth of public and school libraries?” They called for increased funding to ensure fair working conditions and highlighted the need for dedicated library support.

The SoA also addressed tax regimes for audiobooks, asking, “Will you zero rate Value Added Tax (VAT) on audiobooks?” They argued for equal VAT status across physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks to eliminate barriers to reading for those with accessibility needs.

Read: UK publishing industry revenue hits record £7.1bn in 2023

Finally, the SoA focused on protecting freedom of expression, asking, “Will your party legislate to protect authors, journalists and others against Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs)?” They called for legislation aligned with the model UK Anti-SLAPP Law by the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition.

Following the result, SoA chief executive Anna Ganley said: “We are keen to resume the important work of securing Government support of a fairer deal for authors, and we look forward to working with the new ministers and their teams.”

Ganley revealed that SoA had been involved in discussions with the government on “the existential threats to authors’ work and livelihoods – including the unregulated development of generative AI systems and the legal misuse of litigation by wealthy individuals and corporations against journalists, writers and other critics.” She added that these issues cannot be “properly addressed without legislation”.

“At a time when author incomes are lower than ever, it is vital that the Government offers greater support to freelancers, and reviews how it can increase funding for the arts and literature to nurture a better economic landscape for all creative professionals. We urge the new Government to waste no time in getting these issues back on the agenda. It’s time to get back to business,” she said.

The new Labour government faces high expectations from the publishing sector, with hopes that the partnership will yield significant progress in supporting and enhancing the UK’s creative industries.