MPs joined singer Billy Bragg yesterday to protest against archaic licensing laws, which are killing off live music in pubs.
David Heath, Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, was joined by more than a dozen other MPs at the Red Lion pub in London's Parliament Square, to protest against laws which mean a licensee can be prosecuted up to £20,000 if they allow singing and dancing in their pub but don't hold a public entertainment licence (PEL).
While both David Heath and Billy Bragg enjoyed a singalong to The Clash's "We fought the law and the law won", - MPs and onlookers were told not to join in, dance or tap their feet - because licensee Raoul de Vaux could be fined up to £20,000 and face six months in prison if they did.
Singer Billy Bragg said: "It's a ridiculous law. There are so many UK musicians who began singing in pubs. This law stops musicians from doing this."
Licensee Mr de Vaux said: "I don't know why the government wants to restrict live music in pubs - it's a part of English heritage."
But the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said that licensing reform proposals would see PELs scrapped, allowing pubs to put on live music. Instead of a PEL, the details of a pub's permitted entertainment would be included on its premises licence.
But music lovers are calling for clarity on the issue. Stuart Neame, vice chairman of Kent brewer Shepherd Neame, and Hamish Birchall, co-founder of the Campaign for Live Music (CaLM), believe that proposals to scrap PELs will mean the end of live music, because local authorities will be reluctant to allow pubs to hold live music events because of the risk of noise nuisance.
Unless a licensee had thought about holding music events in advance and included entertainment in their licence application any number of performers would be breaking the law.
Related articles:
PEL plan poses a threat to live music in pubs (24 May-2002)
Local authorities blasted for PEL rip-off (21 May 2002)
Westminster council hits out at 'heavy-handed' PEL criticism (9 May 2002)
Westminster Council PEL action 'heavy-handed' (25 April 2002)
MP calls for scrapping of 'ridiculous' PELs (8 March 2002)