Luvvies for Labour! Billy Nighy and Imelda Staunton among stars to throw their weight behind Starmer ahead of election

27 June 2024, 15:11

Labour has received backing from a score of stars within the arts after publishing a joint letter calling for an end to the “political chaos of recent years”.

Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Keeley Hawes and Hugh Bonneville are among some of the star names who have signed the letter endorsing Sir Keir Starmer’s party.

Ranging from actors, to artists and directors, the stars have signed up to Labour’s pledges and its manifesto promise to provide a “creative education for every child”.

“Labour has shown that it wants to work with every part of the creative industries with a bold and sensible strategy for the creative industries sector,” the letter published in The Times reads.

“We want a government that will value the creative industries and put them at the heart of the drive for growth. Our industry would benefit from the ambition of a Labour government.”

Labour has traditionally garnered support from those within the creative industries, however the current government did receive praise for its £1.5 billion culture recovery fund during the pandemic and theatre tax relief schemes.

While the Labour manifesto does not centre on the arts, it does include a pledge to “support children to study a creative or vocational subject until they are 16”.

Read more: 'So which lavatory would they actually use?': Nick Ferrari presses shadow minister on trans women and public toilets

Read more: Number of police officers accused of placing bets on election grows to seven, as Met gives update on investigation

It comes amid concerns that the creative subjects have been neglected in the state school system.

Labour has also pledged to tackle issues with ticket resales, increase loans from publicly funded museums in London to regional locations and to “transform” the apprenticeship levy.

The letter emphasised the importance of Britain’s creative industries, adding that it employs one in 14 people in the country’s workforce.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said that the Tories would continue with a £50 billion growth plan for the creative industries, which is aimed at generating a million new jobs.

It comes amid a clash between the Tories and the David Tennant over the weekend.

The Doctor Who star, who was named Celebrity Ally at the British LGBT awards on Friday, said of the Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch amid a trans row: "I don't wish ill of her, I just wish her to shut up.”

Ms Badenoch hit back: "I will not shut up. I will not be silenced by men who prioritise applause from Stonewall over the safety of women and girls.”

Rishi Sunak later waded into the row, telling Tennant he was "the problem" for telling Ms Badenoch he wished she "didn't exist" at an awards ceremony.

He said: "Freedom of speech is the most powerful feature of our democracy. If you're calling for women to shut up and wishing they didn't exist, you are the problem."