“And/or a bare faced liar.”

Stuart Braithwaite has hit back at culture secretary John Whittingdale’s claim that a UK exit from the EU would not have a negative effect on British artists around the world.

Tweeting in response to Music Week’s story posted online earlier today (June 16), the Mogwai guitarist called the MP a “fucking moron and/or a bare faced liar.”

Whittingdale – who is campaigning for a Leave vote – was speaking at a reception at the House Of Commons to launch the ‘Wish You Were Here’ music tourism study, when he said: “British music is conquering the globe,” and declared it has “nothing to do with whether or not we are in the European Union.”

“This is probably the last event taking place in the House Of Commons before what happens in a week’s time and the world may or may not be different,” he added. “But the one thing which I’m absolutely certain about is that British music will go on continuing to thrive.”

Counter to Whittingdale’s claim, UK music is expected to be seriously affected by an exit from the EU. Touring artists would no longer have freedom of movement to travel across Europe for shows, British record labels would see a substantial part of their non-UK revenues cut and import/export tariffs would have to be re-introduced. Meanwhile, record buyers are faced with the prospect of having to pay added tax on every record brought from overseas in the EU.

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