UK Government Accelerates Legislation to Ban Ticket Tout Resales
Britain is advancing new laws to prohibit for-profit ticket resales, with artists pressing PM Starmer to honor a Labour manifesto pledge.
The British government has intensified efforts to draft legislation that would ban the for-profit resale of concert tickets, according to sources familiar with the process, as pressure from the music industry mounts on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to follow through on a campaign promise.
Artists including rapper Tinie Tempah and Mike Joyce, the drummer for the Smiths — a band Starmer has publicly cited as a personal favorite — have ramped up their calls on the government to act, lending the push a degree of political awkwardness for the prime minister.
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Starmer stated last year that the government intended to prevent fans from being exploited by secondary ticketing platforms, specifically naming services such as Viagogo and StubHub, where resale prices routinely far exceed face value. The commitment originated in Labour's 2024 general election manifesto, framing the issue as one of consumer fairness.
The acceleration of legislative work signals that the government is moving beyond the pledge stage, though no formal bill has yet been introduced. Secondary ticketing has long drawn criticism from consumer advocates and artists alike, who argue that algorithmic pricing and bulk purchasing by touts price ordinary fans out of live events.
The renewed momentum comes amid broader scrutiny of the live entertainment industry's pricing practices in the UK, and observers say that support from recognizable musical figures could help sustain political will to see the legislation through parliament. Continue reading at Business | The Guardian.
