Musicians against the far right

The far-right creates a serious problem for musicians as well as, of course, for almost everyone else. Throughout history, art has been used to inspire, to control or to resist. Fascist governments have aggressively curbed the creative freedom of musicians by way of censorship and threats. Musicians have been punished for speaking out. Arts funding is cut, music education is cut, art is destroyed. Musicians are more likely to be members of the LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent communities, both of which are heavily targeted by the far-right. We have members in every oppressed group in society. Therefore, we have a duty as musicians to stand in the way of the far-right, inspiring people through our art, using our platform to spread positivity and being actively engaged in politics.

Far-right politics seeks to supress workers and remove both our individual and collective rights. We can see this in Nigel Farage’s plans to curb unions, cut ED&I initiatives, and lower the minimum wage. This will leave us significantly worse off, with no organisation to defend us. We must proudly champion the power of trade unions and affirm the strength of the workers: without us, the world would not function. Simultaneously, we must build our unions to be the best versions of themselves — anti-capitalist, politically coherent and utterly democratic. We need a strong drive in grassroots engagement, where members feel confident that their involvement will be meaningful.

Musicians’ Union

Musicians’ Union (MU) members need to be part of an active resistance to the far-right. It is not effective for the TUC to outsource campaigning and organising. We need a large-scale, coordinated, working-class resistance. The Together Alliance demonstration on 28 March was a good step. 16 May confirms that more must to be done to organise large and effective counter-mobilisationa to Tommy Robinson. We need our own stewards, trained by trade unions to be more effective and tactical. We need the TUC to call its own demonstrations. We need our own grassroots initiatives, created by rank-and-file union members. The newly formed Trade Unions Fighting the Far Right (TUFF) network shows us a practical model for this, and we should get involved in it as a union.

Labour Party

The MU must also use its position within the Labour Party to fight for a clear, socialist future where workers have respect and agency. We cannot allow Keir Starmer and others to move our party towards the right, making jabs at Reform UK whilst curbing the right to protest, attacking trans rights and increasing deportations. There are some who see this morally bankrupt Labour party as irredeemable and they are right to be angry. But we must not lose sight of our position. We must step up our political activity and push for a Labour Party that truly represents the interests of the working class. This is no small task — it requires a concerted effort from all on the left to present a clear and positive vision for the future. We need a Labour Party that we are proud to campaign for.

The MU should continue to push for music education, streaming rights, AI music regulations etc., and also for the liberties of all workers: freedom of movement, freedom from exploitation, freedom of expression etc. We must use our influence within the TUC and the Labour party to push for a socialist future, where the workers are in control, where musicians run the music industry, not companies, managers, or labels. Where everyone can live in peace and security. That is what it takes to beat the far-right.