I’m pleased to see a campaign starting to defend the UK Film Council. I have met with them on several occasions. Meeting with UK film workers they are concerned about the increasing amount of film production which is moving abroad. I am told there are several permanent film sets depicting classic London scenes in Prague. The tradition of excellence needs to be retained in the United Kingdom. Abolishing institutions like the UK Film Council will just mean more exporting of jobs abroad. This is an area where we lead the world, and the idea that private investors looking solely at profit will replace the UK Film Council would make a great satirical comedy.
Thanks to Camden councillor Jonathon Simpson who has written to me about the Facebook group Save the UK Film Council which is growing at almost 1,000 people an hour! You can join it by clicking here.
I am pleased so many people are defending a great Labour achievement. The UK Film Council was founded in 2000. Since its creation the UK’s core film industry has increased its contribution to our economy by 50% to £4.3 billion, and directly provides jobs for almost 44,000 people. Now the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats want that to end.
You can also sign the official petition which has 5,000 people already supporting it here.
Filed under: Labour Party
If they are going to take drastic steps like disolving the UK Film Council then they should definitely get rid of organisations like SmokefreeNW. It does not make sense to ask tax-payers to fund campaigns to discourage smoking while at the same time requiring that the same tax-payers have to fund the EU’s subsidies to tobacco farmers.