Brass Bands England Meet with MPs to Show Support for Banding
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Brass Bands England Raise Support For Brass Banding in Parliament
On Tuesday 14th April, Brass Bands England (BBE) hosted a meeting with Members of Parliament in Westminster. Held at Portcullis House, the event brought together MPs from across England, Scotland and Wales, united by a shared ambition: to raise the profile of brass bands in parliament.
The meeting highlighted the growing recognition of brass banding, not just as a cultural tradition, but as a vital part of community life across the UK.
A Unified Voice for Banding
Representing Brass Band's England at the meeting were trustees, Mike Kilroy and Reuben Tendler, alongside staff members, Sarah Baumann and Neil Roberts. Together they engaged MPs in discussion about banding at every level from elite contest bands to grassroots community ensembles.
BBE Chair, Mike Kilroy, reflected positively on the outcome of the meeting, noting the strength of feeling among those in attendance.
“It was clear that there is real enthusiasm across Parliament for brass banding. From elite-level to community banding, MPs are keenly aware of the unmistakable impact that bands are delivering in their constituencies and proud to be their voice at a national level. We look forward to developing the group further in the coming months.”
Cross-Party Engagement
Seven MPs attended the session in person, demonstrating a broad geographic and political spread of support. Those present included:
Johanna Baxter (Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Pippa Heylings (South Cambridgeshire)
Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn)
Alex McIntyre (Gloucester)
Navendu Mishra (Stockport)
Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgaate and Linlithgow)
Paul Waugh (Rochdale)
Widespread Backing Beyond the Room
Support extended well beyond those present on the day. A further 12 MPs expressed their backing for brass banding via email.
Those offering support included:
Bambos Charalambous (Southgate and Wood Green)
Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire)
Anna Gelderd (South East Cornwall)
James MacCleary (Lewes)
Andy MacNae (Rossendale and Darwen)
Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills)
Samantha Niblett (South Derbyshire)
Andrew Rosindell (Romford)
Sam Rushworth (Bishop Auckland)
Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent)
Peter Swallow (Bracknell)
Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett)
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