Performers' Alliance Parliamentary Lobby

Guild representatives joined those from Equity and the Musicians' Union yesterday to lobby MPs, including Culture Secretary Any Burnham, about the pressing issues facing writers and performers.

The future of Public Service Broadcasting, currently the subject of an Ofcom review, was high on the agenda with all three unions keen to emphasise the critical importance of the BBC.

In a speech, Guild and Equity member Tony Robinson singled out TV drama as a particular concern, as it is "the mirror that society holds up to itself." Ongoing budget cuts were threatening its status, he argued, but the public were starting to realise that something of real value was in danger of being lost.

Andy Burnham welcomed the meeting, and the fact that the Performers' Allicance Parliamentary Group, which was founded in 2006 and is chaired by Janet Anderson MP, was working so effectively. It's more important than ever, he said, to have a dialogue about the big issues facing the creative industries, as "2009 is a crunch year in terms of Public Service Broadcasting and the digital age, to ensure that creativity is properly rewarded."