'Brexit Is Rubbish': Damon Albarn Says Leaving The EU Has Been A 'Travesty'
Blur frontman Damon Albarn has condemned the UK leaving the EU as a “travesty” as he appeared to reference one of his band’s albums when saying: “Brexit is rubbish.”
Albarn, also the driving force behind the cartoon pop group Gorillaz, cited how young British musicians musicians are being deterred from touring the continent because of red tape.
He told Channel 4 News it was a “disaster” them and compared the situation to “life-changing” tours of Europe at the early stages of the band’s career.
Albarn said: “That kind of creativity has been very much curtailled for people on this island because it’s expensive now to go over there.
“It’s not straightforward. You have to pay for visas and all that stuff that weren’t necessary. It’s a terrible ... it’s a travesty.
“Brexit was a travesty and people are waking up to that now. Thank goodness.
“But it was a disaster – spiritually, economically, just rubbish. Brexit is rubbish.”
Blur’s second album – from 1993 – is called Modern Life os Rubbish. The band are promoting their eighth LP, The Ballad of Darren.
“Brexit was a travesty and people are waking up to that now.”
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) May 19, 2023
Blur frontman Damon Albarn tells @MinnieStephC4 Brexit has been “a disaster for younger musicians”, saying it's now more expensive for them to tour in Europe. pic.twitter.com/rMaB6FrNtr
It’s been a tricky week for proponents of Brexit.
Stellantis, one of the world’s biggest car makers, has asked the UK government to renegotiate part of the Brexit deal with Brussels or risk losing parts of its car industry and suffer “significant job losses”. The revelation came hours after Nigel Farage admitted “Brexit has failed”.
In response to the criticism, Rishi Sunak cited “cheaper beer in pubs” as he defended the benefits of Brexit.
The prime minister said he has commissioned freeports, cut VAT on sanitary products, reformed alcohol duties and was culling hundreds of EU-era laws.
“I introduced freeports – a Brexit benefit around the country attracting jobs and investment to lots of different places,” Sunak said, according to the Guardian.
“We cut VAT on sanitary products, we reformed the alcohol duties that mean this summer you will be able to get cheaper beer in pubs. These are all very tangible benefits of Brexit that I’ve already delivered.”