Blair says one thing, Brown does another…
Yesterday I posted on Blair’s speech on the arts. It was full of stuff about how fantastic the creative industries are and their contribution to the economy. Sadly, just before Blair made his speech, the Chancellor pushed through complex tax changes to partnerships which will have a very negative impact on films and other creative industries.
If you think I’m exaggerating, read an interview with Patrick McKenna in today’s Evening Standard. McKenna runs Ingenious Media, one of the country’s most successful media companies:
“”It’s the biggest change in fiscal policy I’ve ever witnessed”… The overall loser [McKenna] says will be Britain, which will see fewer films being made.”It’s bound to affect the riskier businesses - but the creative industries are always represented as one of the top priorities of this Government. I just don’t get it.” The day we meet we meet he was due at an event celebrating 10 years of creativity under Tony Blair [Blair’s arts speech]. He shakes his head. You can’t make it up. “Creative industries are growing at the ratio of 6.6 per annum against GDP of 2.2%…It’s one of the few areas of distinctiveness the UK has and they go and do this.”"