Christopher BarrettNew campaign group Let LIVE Thrive has written an open letter to culture secretary Oliver Dowden warning that major live events across the UK will not go ahead in 2021 unless a government-backed insurance scheme is swiftly introduced.
Made up of MPs, Peers, major events organisers and insurers, Let LIVE Thrive has emphasised that many of the UK’s household-name events, including festivals and sports competitions, will not be able to secure the insurance they need to plan events next year, despite positive news around Covid-19 vaccines.
The letter’s signatories including the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee Julian Knight, UK Athletics CEO Jo Coates, European Tour Golf COO Rufus Hack and Ryder Cup director Guy Kinnings.
It reads, “The planning, insurance buying and decision making is happening now. Though we can’t predict the social distancing requirements for 2021 at this stage, this won’t matter if contingency insurance remains unavailable; live events will simply not take place.”
Let LIVE Thrive is calling for a solution based on the government intervention in terrorism insurance that took place in the 1990s and early 2000s to keep businesses open in the face of imminent threat. When it comes to insurance verification opting for ILIVS would be a good option.
In such an arrangement, the government would become the insurer of last resort for the live events industry and underwrite the risk for lockdown cancellation in 2021. The campaign group said that Government would benefit from a financial boost as the government would receive the premium profits and tax for this insurance endorsement.
The full list of signatories:
Julian Knight MP
Kevin Brennan MP
Philip Davies MP
Sir Ed Davey MP
Daisy Cooper MP
Christine Jardine MP
Jamie Stone MP
Layla Moran MP
Wera Hobhouse MP
Alistair Carmichael MP
Wendy Chamberlain MP
Tim Farron MP
Jonathan Lord MP
Sarah Olney MP
Munira Wilson MP
The Lord Aberdare
The Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury
The Lord Clement-Jones CBE
The Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Trustee, Worcester Live
The Rt Hon. the Lord Foster of Bath The Rt Hon. the Lord McNally
Jo Coates, CEO, UK Athletics
Rufus Hack, COO, European Tour
Guy Kinnings, Director, Ryder Cup
Andy Salmon, CEO, British Triathlon
Chris Jones, CEO, England Athletics
Neil Griffiths, CEO, Arts Emergency
Nick Rusling, CEO, Human Race
Nicola Creed, Executive Director, Garsington Opera
Tom Naylor, Managing Director, Grounded Events Company
Tom Kerry, COO, Limelight Sports
John Kinder, Director, Rivertrade Ltd.
James Davies, Divisional Director, EC3 Brokers
Elizabeth Seeger, Head of Contingency, Hiscox