Elton John terms UK ministers ‘philistines’ as Brexit impacts music industry

British music icon Sir Elton John is enraged at the way the UK government has handled the entertainment industry since Brexit.

In an interview with the Observer, the 74-year-old singer said he was furious with the lack of provision made for parts of the entertainment industry that depend on on travel within the European Union.

“I’m so angry. I’m livid about what the Government did when Brexit happened,” he said, referencing the new rules that were rolled out early this year that do not guarantee visa-free travel for musicians in the bloc, giving surge to fears of artists touring having to incur hefty fees in some of the countries they visit.

“They made no provision for the entertainment business, and not just for musicians, actors and film directors, but for the crews, the dancers, the people who earn a living by going to Europe,” he said.

“People like me can afford to go to Europe because we can get people to fill in the forms and get visas done, but what makes me crazy is that the entertainment business brings in £111 billion a year to this country and we were just tossed away,” he added.

“They are philistines. The Government are philistines. We’ve got used to Governments – especially the British Government – just telling us lies every day, and I don’t feel okay with that,” he went on to say.

“Look what they did with the NHS. After all that those people (staff) did during Covid, they give them a 1% increase. I find that extraordinary. I just can’t live with that. It makes me so angry,” John said.