Member

Many noble Lords will recall a letter to the Prime Minister signed by over 400 UK creators, several dozen of whom have paid more in tax than Google or Amazon ever have, and all of whom have contributed to the UK economy and the cultural life of the nation. They include Tom Stoppard, Helen Fielding, Rachel Whiteread, Antony Gormley, Simon Rattle, Sting, Paul McCartney, Elton, Shirley Bassey and Dua Lipa, alongside institutions from Glyndebourne to the Sheffield Crucible and the editors of almost all our national newspapers. These are the creators and keepers of the national legacy and culture, but the Prime Minister did not spare time, nor even a piece of headed notepaper, to reply, but instead bounced their concerns back to the very department whose policy they were asking him to overrule.