Speaking at the Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference, Shadow Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the media sector is “too important to fail”.
She pledged that Labour would continue to back public service broadcasters, journalism and the creative industries through major change.
Nandy stressed that trust in news, especially from traditional and regulated media, must be restored amid growing division and misinformation.
She highlighted the vital role of local journalism, saying it was local media that “told the real story” during last summer’s unrest.
She confirmed Labour will publish a Local Media Strategy and launch the BBC Charter Review later this year. The upcoming Creative Industries Sector Plan will support growth from Belfast to Birmingham, and she promised the government would not penalise success with new taxes or levies.
The speech also addressed the rise of AI, with plans for legislation to tackle copyright and fair pay for creators after roundtables begin later this year. Nandy emphasised that policy will be co-designed with both creators and technologists, and that “if it doesn’t work for the creative industries, it won’t work for us”.
She called on PSBs, streamers, indies, radio, and press to collaborate more on skills, media literacy, children’s content and shared platforms like Freely and Radioplayer. “Talent is everywhere,” she said, “but opportunity is not”.
Lisa Nandy concluded by saying the UK is a “cultural powerhouse” and Labour will work with the sector to help media remain trusted, sustainable and world-leading in a fragmented digital age.
