Published on: Wednesday July 17, 2024

Following the speech delivered by King Charles III at the State Opening of Parliament today (17 July 2024), General Secretary Ellie Peers said:

“A legislative programme focused on economic growth, a rise in living standards and enhanced employment rights is good news for workers, as are proposed bills promising a new deal for working people, restrictions around AI, reform of the apprenticeship levy, and new legislation on race, disability and equal pay. We also welcome the new Government’s commitment to work with trade unions.

“It is vital however that new laws protecting workers do not exclude freelancers, and that a focus on growth includes our creative industries, which currently generate £124.6 billion a year for the UK economy and employ over 2 million people.

“The promise to ‘make work pay’ and ‘opportunity for all’ that we heard today must include writers and other freelance creators who make such a vital contribution to the creative industry.

“The measures we have set out in our manifesto call on the new Government to protect, support and nurture UK writers. We look forward to more detail on upcoming legislation and meeting and working with ministers to ensure writers’ rights and the creative industries are central to the agenda.”

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