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UK Music Head Set For Seat In The House of Lords

The head of a prominent lobby group for the music industry is being touted as a new entrant to the UK’s House of Lords. According to sources close to new Prime Minister David Cameron, UK Music chief Feargal Sharkey is being considered for a life peerage as reward for his efforts in the music industry.

UK MusicBorn in 2008, UK Music is an umbrella organization which represents various elements of the music industry including musicians, songwriters and composers, labels, publishers, managers and various collecting societies. The group welcomed the introduction of the controversial Digital Economy Act this year.

For its chief, ex-Polydor A&R man and former pop star Feargal Sharkey, times are particularly good at the moment.

After picking up an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Hertfordshire at the end of 2008, it was recently announced that at the end of this year he will receive a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degree from the University of Ulster.

But becoming a doctor pales into insignificance when compared to the latest honor likely to be bestowed on the Irishman. According to a report which quotes sources close to new Prime Minister David Cameron, Sharkey is being considered for a life peerage as reward for his efforts supporting the music industry.

It is suggested that his place in the House of Lords, where the then Digital Economy Bill was debated extensively, would be as an independent peer without supporting any particular party. He would also be able to continue his regular job.

“David Cameron is ­deeply impressed with Feargal and his knowledge, leadership and commitment when it comes to representing the music ­business,” a government source told The Mirror. “He would be a welcome ­addition to the House of Lords or in a role advising the ­Government, ­although nothing has been finalised yet.”

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  • Anonymous

    FFs!

  • Pingback: Tweets that mention UK Music Head Set For Seat In The House of Lords | TorrentFreak -- Topsy.com

  • uker

    lol, you couldn’t make it up..

  • duane

    That’s just brilliant.

    Cameron is going to give power to an INDUSTRY LOBBYIST directly?! Without even bothering with the usual secrecy and pretence?? He’ll just let the lobbyist run the damn country?

    And not even being shy about it, either!

    As if Lord Mandy wasn’t enough of a clown already, we need more UNELECTED halfwits calling the shots around here.

    FFS reform the Lords! This is getting ridiculous.

  • Nobby

    Shocking, whats next Lord Bin Laden to advice on terrorism?

  • anonymous

    @ #2. you’re right. no one could make this crap up! and i bet he will have more influence on decision making on everything ‘industry’ related than anybody else, regardless of the knowledge others have. this is going to be a one sided view that will be taken, despite any proof that is offered that counters his arguments. democracy will go straight out the window and the unbiased opinions based on all true evidence available that are supposed to lead to sensible solutions will not even be discussed! any hope that existed that the UK DEB would be repealed, or at least scrutinised properly, can be kissed goodbye! so much for the ‘transparency’ that this government supposedly wants as far as secret lobbying is concerned.

    god help us!

  • Ralonto

    “It is suggested that his place in the House of Lords, where the then Digital Economy Bill was debated extensively, would be as an independent peer without supporting any particular party.”

    What is this bullshit? Not supporting any particular party? This reeks of corruption.

  • Ang3r

    Someone murder this little cunt already.
    I was hoping Cameron would fear the people.
    He has forgotten the public are dangerous….

  • Howard Beale

    I don’t have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It’s a depression. Everybody’s out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel’s work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there’s nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there’s no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV’s while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that’s the way it’s supposed to be. We know things are bad – worse than bad. They’re crazy. It’s like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don’t go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, ‘Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won’t say anything. Just leave us alone.’ Well, I’m not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot – I don’t want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write. I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad.

  • Irish

    “David Cameron is ­deeply impressed with Feargal and his knowledge, leadership and commitment when it comes to representing the MUSIC BUSINESS.”

    ?????????????????????????????????

    REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE MY BOLLOCKS.

  • Ettore

    Network! A good one.

    I like how they say “… doesn’t support a party” as if the decisions he will be making have anything to do with one party. His decisions will have to do with what musc industry can or cannot do, a direct conflict with his actual job which is what he will be directly influencing. Christ, picking my sister would be a better choice; someone who doesn’t give a shit and hates everyone equally.

  • Nedrik Feij

    Breaking News!

    Brein loses case against Piratebay.org in Holland

    http://www.geenstijl.nl/mt/archieven/2010/07/brein_vs_ziggo.html

  • Pico

    Sharkey…. the guy’s name says it all :P

  • TerribleTony

    Why is that crap musicians hang around like flies around shit?

  • Anonymous

    wow this is buggered up seems they do indeed think they make laws.

    someone needs to stop this injustice

  • piratepal

    The twat is Irish isn’t he???????

  • piratepal

    “11 Jul 19, 2010 at 15:24 by Nedrik Feij
    Breaking News!

    Brein loses case against Piratebay.org in Holland

    http://www.geenstijl.nl/mt/archieven/2010/07/brein_vs_ziggo.html”

    THIS NEEDS TO BE IN ENGLISH !!!!!!!!

  • Niels

    It seems that a good heart these days is hard to find…

  • anon200

    Where is that idiot from the UK that previously was insulting Americans, expecting us to stop anything our own Government does. As if we have any control over corruption, now it looks like you have the same thing.

  • anon200

    It also would not surprise me if this guy is trying to buy his way in, like they do for everything because they are so rich after stealing money from everyone else.

  • Steve

    Isn’t this like letting a fox guard a hen house? I think so!

  • slippitydoodah

    Just for once, a defense
    Feargal Sharkey has fought long and hard over the years from a musician’s perspective, with no hidden agenda and without being in the pocket of any part of the industry.
    He cut his teeth on the disgraceful revisions of the licensing laws a few years back, spending several years fighting for changes in the live msic rules so that musicians could play in bars without the pubs license fee costing stupid money to allow it.

    Slag off the system for the backhanding and disgraceful old boys club reward system, but don’t blame Mr S for working hard on behalf of musicians, not their greedy bastard record companies.

    Now if only he’d refuse on principle ….

  • obvious

    @17
    OMFG!!! You’re right – it’s that snivelling little whiner back from the 80′s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx9qUR9P2ZQ

    Jeeeez!! That leprechaun hasn’t had a f’n hit ever since and that twat Cameron wants to give him Lordship for that??? Major efforts in the music industry?? Gimme a break! Why not get it over with and have Lizzie give Elton John a 5 foot 24 carat diamond encrusted dildo: From one Queen to another.

    Feregal Sharkey you always was a WANKER!!

  • Greedy rich people suck

    What kind of name is Feargal Sharkey
    wtf

  • JD

    The Government in the UK have setup a website where users can post their ideas on how to restore our freedom and civil liberties.

    Out of the hundreds of ideas, repelling the Digital Economy Act and being pro-piracy is 5th.
    If you want to do something that will help us, and will be read by the Prime Minister and Nick Clegg themselves, please just take 30 seconds of your time to rate the following article or post you (intelligent) views on this ill thought out and rushed act.

    Link:
    http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/repealing-unnecessary-laws/digital-economy-act

    If half of the comments received on this site where posted there, it will surely bring some attention.

  • JD

    I’d love to know what Nick Clegg’s stance is on all this.

    He promised to be done with the Digital Economy Act if he was elected in power.

    Looks like Robin is just kissing up to Batman and going along with whatever he wants.

  • Anomy

    Sharkey was a bloody one hit wonder…absolute joke.

    Also..those 2 universities are not big uni’s in England…its about as much skill to get something from there as the university of life.

  • StopTheMadness

    It’s not good enough that the copywrong fascists can buy politicians. Now they want to be politicians too?

    Fighting political bullshit with real bullshit was pretty impressive when the farmers got mad. Fire up them manure spreaders!

  • Clashman

    Sharkey is a Northern Irish catholic from Londonderry. Bet Shi(t)n Fein will love this.

  • Anonymous

    Feargal Sharkey is famous for the Undertones song “Teenage Kicks.”

    Thirty years later, he’s wanting to Kick Teenagers off the internet.

  • l-form

    Things like this just reinforce the arguments for a reform of the Houes of Lords. We really do need elected peers and not people who have arbitrarily made peers (like Feargal Sharkey) or people with a dodgy track record (like Mandelson).

  • me

    I don’t have a problem with this as long as it is clear that he is there to support the music industry and that any arguments or decisions he may put forwards are understood to be done fully in the interest of the industry and not the consumers, the public or internet users.

  • British tangent.

    This stinks totally,what will mr sharkey bring to the house of lords i wonder,prob pathetic views and useless ideas,when will these people learn to listen to the masses,and stop living in the past,the whole gov of uk stinks,but as mr sharkey once said,a good heart these days is hard to find.

  • JimmyJimmy

    luck to him.

    Slippitydoodah is correct, from what I can see he’s done a hell of a lot to stand up for musicians these last few years and clearly seems to be one of the more pragmatic voices coming from the music industry when it comes to the internet. Shame some of you did not bother reading some of what he’s been saying before commenting.

    That said, the most repulsive thing I have read so far are the way too many sarcastic comments about his nationality, and there was I think that racism was a thing of the past.

    SHAME ON THE LOT OF YOU!

  • p_c

    Well, at least Fergal Sharkey is open and honest about his job and goals, and it is for the benefit of the musicians, not the music company shareholders.

    I for one would rather have him in the lords than that double-dealing scum-bag Mandelson.

  • neostyles

    When a person from the pirate party (which advocates legalization mass infringement) gets a seat in some parliament, it’s not a problem, but when someone who represents the interests of artists does, then that is suddenly a bad thing?

  • http://neuron2neuron.blogspot.com Ben Jones

    The difference, neostyles, is that the pirate party person was elected by the people, and has to stay elected. The music representative gets their position via an influential friend and keeps their position for life.

    It’s a significant difference.

  • Mirror Man

    Given the many problems facing the UK at the moment, I would rather have somebody with more knowledge and skills in the Lords :-/

  • Aussie

    Dont pre-judge guys. Plenty of evidence suggesting Feargal isnt a MAFIAA stooge, but quite the opposite. It could be a good thing he has a voice.

    He represents the ARTISTS, not the INDUSTRY. And many of the artists are as pished off with the MAFIAA as anyone else.

  • kiwishare

    I absolutely hated this guys music in the 80s,now i know why!

    polesmoker!!

  • Ninja

    As said, call Bin Laden to give be the anti-terrorism adviser. My, how the UK has fallen…

    My pity and sincere wishes of luck to the UK citizens.

    On the other hand, shows that with enough money/lobbying/you name it any1 can go in. Shall we raise funds to put sane people there? See? Not everything is lost ;)

  • duane

    Well done defending Sharkey, guys :P

    Perhaps his lobbying efforts covered a few things other than piracy, though there is NO DOUBT he will be working from the inside to get the maximum penalties for file sharers. He’s a strong copyright supporter, even though there is no evidence to believe copyright is a good thing for the MUSIC industry (not just the recording industry).

    He’s no friend of ours, and honorary degrees from a couple of no-name universities don’t make him qualified to make decisions for our country.

    Just remember: if the BPI ever wants to propose any legislation, all they’ll have to do is tell this guy. He won’t even think twice about it.

  • p_c

    While it is a couple of years old, this interview gives you a better idea of what matters to him:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/29/bmr_feargal_sharkey/

    Read that, and then consider Mandelson’s manipulative legacy, before judging Mr Sharkey.

  • Tomas

    Of course, the Liberal-Conservative party bring him in. They give him all the power he wants. But he’s supposed to ignore all of that and be a neutral opinion.

    A large part of my decision not to vote Labour was because of Mandy. Now we don’t have Labour and we get someone just as bad, if not worse.

    I read that interview linked to by #42. It raises an interesting point. He says is £10 enough for all-you-can-download access to all music in history. Then he says is £25 too much?

    So he’s saying it is plausable for the music industry to keep going even when giving away all their music for £10. So what kind of perspective does that put on the people who’ve been sued for thousands per song?

  • duane

    @42 p_c

    I don’t really give a crap what matters to him.

    Cameron should give peerage to an ECONOMIST who’ll work from an unbiased position to bring some balance between copyright and the public domain.

    Not a LOBBYIST who has the interest of a tiny minority of the population in mind, and who would call for even more privileges for an already over-privileged minority.

    This is outright mockery of everyone who opposed the Digital Economy Act — of which Sharkey was a huge proponent.

  • Pingback: UK Music Head Set For Seat In The House of Lords | Systema

  • p_c

    My point about Mr Sharkey is that he is a music voice, and quite openly so, but one that speaks far more reason than the RIAA/big 4 companies.

    This is better than those who are appointed but its not clear who is pulling their strings. If Mr Sharkey promotes some law to support musicians everyone & their dog know why and reads it with this in mind.

    Yes he supported the DEA, but it was all that was going for him. The biggest tragedy was not that such an act was put forward, but that the whole democratic process of studying it, debating it, and having expert committees report, was ignored.

    Instead it was passed in a shameful way in the “wash up”, and the new wonders who have inherited power have carefully avoided dealing with this turd of a piece of legislation.

  • slippitydoodah

    Having actually seen Feargal Sharkey in full argument over musicians rights, and read and seen much of his his campaigning on behalf of musicians elsewhere over a considerable number of years, I’m happily convinced there’s no hidden agenda, arse-licking or social climbing on his part.

    Perhaps some others might want to put their racial/social/inept prejudices under a cup of something soothing for a while and actually research before engaging thoughts.

    It’s not a bad way to make informed judgement, which is always useful. Knee-jerk reactions don’t solve arguments, and don’t do alternate views any good.

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  • The Music Void

    Since the passing of the Digital Economy Act 2010, the assent of which evoked a (not entirely) resounding cry of joy from the music industry, its swift passage into law appears to have caused some turbulence amongst ISPs, and all for valid reasons.

    More on this available: http://www.themusicvoid.com/2010/07/swings-roundabouts-and-lashings-of-legislative-lamenting/

  • FightTheTyranny

    We all know peerages go to the highest bidder as evidenced by the cash for peerage scandal; and it’s self-evident that the music industry has the government in its pocket, so this is a natural progression really.

    The government is getting as many cronies in as they can before the new democratic lords bill is introduced. These cronies will be exempt of course. Not much to see here, just more of the same corruption that is the uk. Absolutely repugnant.

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