Trade bodies outline demands ahead of General Election
The Publishers Association and the Booksellers Association have set out their asks for the incoming government, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a General Election for 4th July. The arts, education and library funding, rates and wider taxation, as well as action on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and copyright are likely to be high up the trade’s agenda over the next six weeks. There will also be an impact on books publishing over the next six weeks, with publishers likely to scrutinise schedules closely.
Dan Conway, chief executive of the Publishers Association, said: “Our asks of the incoming government are clear: ensure that AI growth does not come at the expense of intellectual property and human creativity; proudly uphold the UK’s copyright framework as a driver of creativity, research and innovation; axe the final taxes on reading and learning; restore an open and fair market for education resources; and invest in libraries and literacy.
“We will work to show politicians on all sides the publishing industry’s economic value to the UK, as well as its huge cultural and academic importance in inspiring the next generation of readers and learners. If we want a society that is literate, well-informed by trusted content and fiercely openly democratic, then the publishing sector needs to be a cornerstone of any government’s future plans.”
Conway said the PA was well prepared to get its message out: “The Vision for Publishing which we released at London Book Fair in March outlines the industry’s key asks for the next government and we will be focused on continuing to deliver those messages now that the country is going to the polls. The publishing sector is worth an extraordinary £11bn overall to the economy and is the global leader in book exports – that deserves recognition and political support from all sides of the political debate."
Meryl Halls, managing director at the Booksellers Association, also highlighted AI as an issue but welcomed the news of the new election. “The BA is pleased to see a General Election called and a move towards more stability and certainty for the business community, and in our relations with government and officials," she told The Bookseller. “We will be continuing to drive our call for fundamental business rates reform, an improved system of checks and balances on the digital giants, to allow SME and specialist growth and innovation, and are supportive of the work done by the PA on AI and the crucial importance of protecting copyright.
"In the retail space, we will be pressing all parties for an urgent look at retail crime, at valuing the contribution of retail to GDP and to the health of town centres, to ensure our high streets are able to thrive – and pressing home the outsized contribution made by bookshops of all sizes in this regard.
"We’ll shortly be publishing a report into the social and cultural impact of bookshops, the better to illustrate the halo effect of bookshops on their communities. We’ll also be encouraging our bookshop members to engage with their local parliamentary candidates, and helping booksellers to emphasise what a force for good bookshops are."
