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Pete Wylie Pulls out of LIMF music festival

By on August 9, 2014
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In a statement today, Pete Wylie has sent a withering rebuke of two of the Council’s most polarising recent decisions - that of continuing to employ the services of the human rights-abusing security company, G4S, and of its proposed slash-and-burn remedy for our city’s libraries. Citing both moves as in ‘direct opposition to the ethos of a creative festival’ Wylie says that the council’s desire to ‘show a positive public image’ sits at odds with many of its current policies.

Wylie says:

“Further to recent revelations about Liverpool Council’s decision to continue with the security contract with G4S, combined with their destructive stance on the city’s vital library service I am withdrawing my involvement from this year’s Liverpool International Music Festival.

I cannot condone or work with a Council that sees fit to engage with G4S, a company allegedly complicit in Israeli human rights abuses. The Council has been given an opportunity to make a positive stance and to end its association with the security company and no sufficient reason has been given not to take this opportunity.

As a musician and artist I absolutely condemn the proposed closures of 11 of Liverpool’s 18 libraries. This is a move that is in direct opposition to the ethos of a creative festival, and I cannot subscribe to the utter hyprocrisy that all is well and thriving in a city that sees fit to destroy the essential educational, social and cultural service that the libraries provide. Liverpool Council’s desire to show a positive public image conflicts absolutely with the policies it adopts at grass roots level, which show no regard for the actual fundamental needs of the city.”

SevenStreets will be making a statement about our involvement in the festival on Monday.

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  • Clive Healiss

    Too right. Real culture represented by the internationally-reknowned Liverpool Libraries, versus the Mayor’s self-aggrandising and bs tourist show-off. The Mayor’s a low-brow scally. He’d burn books on a bonfire if it would attract gawping tourists. Watch out for the sale of the buildings, as well as the many rare books in the Library Collection!
    As for G4S- incompetent, privatising and profitising thieves of our Welfare State. Bedpals for a spiv like the Mayor!
    Truly a story of the blues Pete. Surrounded by two-bit geezers!

  • Sean Robertson

    Sorry Clive, but the comments on tourism are uncalled for. Thousands of people in this city rely on tourism for their jobs and to dismiss visitors to our city as “gawping’ shows a total misunderstanding of what drives our economy nowadays

  • Marie

    As a child, I visited Kensington library every week. My parents could not have afforded to buy me 3 books each week. My school did not supply reading material. I still read avidly. Libraries inspire individuals, nourish hungry minds and satisfy a need to learn. Today, I have a rewarding career and pay tax - squaring the circle. Libraries are different places now with computers etc - they still have a significant role to play in research, developing community cohesion and inspiring a love of learning. Don’t close libraries, don’t close minds.

  • Rene

    Agreed!!!! Good on you Pete Wylie for taking a stance against the hypocrisy of a LABOUR council closing OUR public libraries. The same LABOUR council are also intent on selling off OUR public parks and green areas for property development. See Sefton Meadows. See Woolton Woods. Deals behind closed doors. This is DISGRACEFUL. SHAMEFUL. More people should stand up and expose these tyrannical hypocrites for what they are.