Responding to the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, Equity General Secretary Paul W Fleming said:
“The Chancellor is taking the same approach to the performing arts and entertainment that has seen billions in public funding for the arts cut, the undermining of our public service broadcasters, and a culture war pursued against marginalised groups.
“The self-employed are being shortchanged by a headline-grabbing tax cut. Our self-employed members want investment to fix the holes in the social security system and public services.
We need long-term planning for brighter creative industries, not short-term decisions for electoral gain.
Paul W Fleming, Equity General Secretary
“Equity finds the attacks on all social security claimants abhorrent. In particular, disabled people have consistently been forced to pay the price of this government’s poor management of the economy and public services, and their tax cuts to the wealthy and big business. Equity says ‘enough’.
“The government’s continued support for our industry through tax reliefs and expenditure credits is welcome. But only as one step in a roadmap toward investing the European average of 0.5% of GDP in the creative industries.
“We need long-term planning for brighter creative industries, not short-term decisions for electoral gain.”
