Labour leader, Keir Starmer, is promising to put fans back at the heart of music, cultural and sporting events.

To combat ticket touting, Labour will cap resale prices and give the Competition and Markets Authority the powers needed to regulate resale platforms.

Keir’s plan to combat ticket touting comes as he announced Labour’s Sector Plan for the Creative industries, including a package of measures to increase opportunities, drive investment and unleash Britain’s creative potential.

In many other countries reselling tickets has already been banned, but under the Tories, British fans have been let down.

Labour argues this ”not only rips off hard working Brits wanting to enjoy their favourite band or actor, but it damages the relationship between venue, artist and fan.”

Many reselling websites are dominated by large-scale touts, rather than just those who can no longer attend an event. Touts use different illegal and unethical means, including false IDs, bots and automated systems to skip online queues and hoover up large numbers of tickets.

Labour’s plan to clamp down on ticket touts will:

• Strengthen consumer rights legislation on this issue to restrict the resale of tickets at more than a small, set percentage over the price the original purchaser paid for it (including fees)
• Limit the number of tickets individual resellers can list to the number of tickets that individuals can legitimately buy via the original platform.
• Make platforms accountable for the accuracy of information about tickets they list for sale and ensure that the Competition and Markets Authority has the powers that it needs to take swift, decisive action against platforms and touts, to protect consumers.

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

”Access to music, art and theatre for hard working Brits can’t be at the mercy of ruthless ticket touts driving up prices.

Hours spent refreshing ticket resale websites only to pay through the nose to see an artist you love, is frustrating and unfair.

Labour will cap resale prices and ban ticket hoarding. Culture should be for fans, not excessive profits.”

Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport said: 

”Live music is not only a popular part of British culture, it is economically significant, employing thousand and supporting the wider tourism and hospitality sector.

Ticket touts make live music impossibly expensive for fans.

If Labour wins the next election, we will take action to tackle this rip off.”

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