Ken Livingstone: I'll save music pubs

Ken Livingstone has revealed a plan to save live music in pubs if he becomes London mayor again.

Protecting venues through planning law, creating a London Music Festival mirroring the lucrative South by Southwest in Texas and improving communication between councils and the industry are among the ideas proposed.

He also vowed to scrap the controversial Form 696, which venues in some parts of the capital are required to fill out giving details for every promoted show.

The plans, included in Livingstone's report Protecting London's Live Music, follows a separate plan to save the capital's pubs through reform of the tie. It's part of his bid to become Labour's choice for the next mayoral elections.

Livingstone said: "London's music scene is as much part of the capital's life blood as the buses and trains that take millions to gigs, concerts and festivals in the capital each year.

"I want London to host a regular music festival, taking the example of the successful Austin, Texas South by Southwest festival, which generates millions for the local economy and provides a focus for music nationally and internationally.

"As well as playing host to signed and unsigned acts representing the multitude of music genres heard around the city, the London Music Festival will be a tool for musicians and the people they work with to develop their careers, and bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas.

"I believe the Mayor of London must be passionate in backing live music and today I'm setting out some new ideas that will ensure that long term future of live music in the capital.

"I want the protection of live music venues to be part of the Mayor's strategy and I am setting out details today of how that would be delivered."

Proposals for planning law includes factoring the cultural contribution of live music into development plans, and amending the Use Classes Order to restrict changes to the venues without planning permission.

Form 696 sparked controversy after an early version asked for details of the expected ethnic make-up of the customers.

Livingstone told the BBC: "You can't have a law on the presumption that one particular ethnic group is more violent than another. It's just wrong."