Music campaigners to deliver 17,000-strong petition to Downing Street

Pressure on the government to relax the rules around live pub music is set to intensify as a peer resurrects a parliamentary Bill today - and campaigners prepare to deliver a 17,000 signature petition to Downing Street.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones will re-introduce a modified version of his Live Music Bill in the Lords this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the peer will join live music campaigners tomorrow morning in delivering a petition to 10 Downing Street calling on the government to stop "criminalising" small-scale gigs under the current licensing regime.

Clement-Jones told The Publican ​he was hopeful his Bill would have an impact and has written to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt about his proposed changes.

"I think it will have legs this time and I've told the government it will save them time if they adopt the Bill," he said.

Clement-Jones tabled a similar Bill in the last Parliament, but has decided to resurrect a changed version under the new government.

Among the changes are calls for exemptions for any "wholly unamplified" music, regardless of the number of performers. It also says there should be exemptions for any gigs attracting 200 people or fewer. And pubs that have a musical instrument - such as a piano - should not need a licence for it, the Bill says.

Tomorrow Clement-Jones is due to be joined by Tory MP John Whittingdale and Tory peer Lord Colwyn, as well as members of the Live Music Forum.

The petition, which has 16,949 signatures, urges the government to "stop criminalising live music with the Licensing Act, and to support amendments backed by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee".

The Publican​ is campaigning for the government to relax the rules around live music in pubs as part of our Listen Up! ​initative.