Sir Elton John: Labour treating musicians ‘like s---'
Sir Elton John has accused Labour of treating musicians 'like s---' in an impassioned attack on the Government over its approach to artificial intelligence (AI).
The 78-year-old singer said ministers had ignored the pleas of artists after the Government suffered an unprecedented fifth defeat in the House of Lords over plans to allow tech companies to train their AI models on copyrighted materials.
Speaking at a Billboard event in London, Sir Elton said: 'The entertainment business in this country brings in £125bn a year and they are treating us like s---. They're treating us like idiots.'
The Rocket Man singer accused ministers of having their 'heads in the sand', adding: 'In fact, the Labour Party at the moment should be called the Ostrich Party.'
The Government has been locked in a protracted standoff with the House of Lords over the Data Bill, which would grant tech companies access to any copyrighted materials unless the rights owner explicitly opts out.
Supporters of the bill, who include former Meta executive and deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg, say the legislation is needed to support Britain's emerging AI industry.
But the plans have sparked a furious response from the creative industries, including high-profile figures from the arts such as Dua Lipa, Kate Bush and Sir Ian McKellen. They have warned that the new laws would amount to 'giving away' work to tech firms and put the UK's creative sector at risk.
Baroness Kidron, a former filmmaker who directed Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, has led opposition against the Bill in the Lords.
Her amendment would force tech companies to be transparent about what material they use to train AI models. Peers voted by 221 votes to 116 in favour of the proposal last night.
The standoff raises the risk that the entire bill could be shelved unless ministers accept the amendment or put forward their own proposals as a compromise.
Sir Elton branded the political stalemate an 'existential issue' and a 'f---ing mess'. He thanked members of the House of Lords for backing the amendment, saying: 'Thank you so much, you guys. You rock.'
He added: 'Copyright must be transparent and it must have an artist's full permission. These two principles are the bedrock of the industry and they must be included in the Data Bill as a backstop.'
While Sir Elton attacked the Government over its approach to copyright and AI, he said: 'We're not against Labour and we want a solution that brings all parties together in a way that is transparent and fair and allows artists to maintain control of their work.'
He added that the creative industries were 'not anti-AI [and] not anti-big tech either'.
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