A host of musicians have responded to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s comments that people in the arts should “retrain” for other jobs.
The chancellor of the exchequer has caused uproar with his remarks about what people working in the arts should do as the industry struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.
Yesterday he told ITV News “I can’t pretend that everyone can do exactly the same job that they were doing at the beginning of this crisis. That’s why we’ve put a lot of resource into trying to create new opportunities”.
He went on to concede that unemployment is “likely to increase” but stressed the government is “trying to do everything we can to protect as many jobs as possible.
Asked whether he was suggesting some of the UK’s “fabulous musicians and artists and actors” should get another job, he responded: “as in all walks of life everyone’s having to adapt”.
He added: “Can things happen in exactly the way they did? No. But everyone is having to find ways to adapt and adjust to the new reality.”
At a time when the future of live music is under serious threat, thousands of jobs are at stake and unemployment figures continue to rise, Sunak seems completely unfazed by the dystopian reality our creative industries are facing. His comments have rightly and appropriately caused uproar with many artists taking to social media to express their disgust. See responses from the likes of Liam Gallagher, Mogwai, KT Tunstall, Sam Fender and more below.
In the meantime, we encourage you to support your local music scene and your favourite artists in whatever what you can; buy their music and merchandise, watch out for Bandcamp promos and share your favourite tunes far and wide.
So the dopes in gov telling musicians and people in arts to retrain and get another job what and become massive cunts like you nah yer alright c’mon you know LG x
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) October 6, 2020
This country would be beyond wank if it wasn’t for the arts and the music and football show a bit of respect you little TURD cmon you know LG x
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) October 6, 2020
We have no plans to retrain.
— Mogwai (@mogwaiband) October 6, 2020
This is someone running the country. How about you not have your movies, TV shows, Netflix etc during lockdown ? All the music, paintings, art in the culture since time began. Moron. pic.twitter.com/jyBXf2sjde
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) October 6, 2020
starting to sound like everyone at my family christmas party pic.twitter.com/eGPUi66TEo
— Black Honey (@BLACKHONEYUK) October 6, 2020
Hey, musicians who spent 10 years training for free to get good enough to have a career which now employs others & positively feeds collective wellbeing; remember when people told you to get a ‘real job’?
Those people lack a basic understanding of a life well lived.
— KT Tunstall (@KTTunstall) October 6, 2020
We stand with freelance professional musicians. Music is a viable industry. #letmusiclive https://t.co/UW0a1u0hHR
— Help Musicians (@HelpMusiciansUK) October 6, 2020
AH YES THOSE STUPID MUSICIANS WHO GENERATE £5 BILLION ODD A YEAR SHOULD LEAVE THE INDUSTRY THEY LOVE AND SPEND THEIR TIME RETRAINING FOR NON EXISTENT JOBS. HOW DOES THIS GOVERNMENT FIND A NEW WAY TO FUCK ME OFF EVERY SINGLE DAY. https://t.co/3j3WWZdFCz
— shame (@shamebanduk) October 6, 2020
Maybe some MPs should retrain, as they aren’t really doing their job anyway https://t.co/mfVqYkyeqh
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) October 6, 2020