Statement on the appointment of Michelle Donelan MP as DCMS Secretary of State & Jacob Rees-Mogg MP as BEIS Secretary of State

Following the recent Cabinet appointments, the Advertising Association has issued the below statements.

On the appointment of Michelle Donelan MP as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Sue Eustace, Director of Public Affairs, Advertising Association said:  

“We welcome the appointment of Michelle Donelan MP as Culture Secretary and look forward to working closely with her and the team to ensure that the advertising and marketing industry continues in a position of strength to deliver economic and social benefits to the other creative industries and to the UK.

The new Culture Secretary has many issues in her in tray. We ask that she:

1. moves ahead with the Second Reading of the Data Protection Bill as soon as possible to promote data-driven innovation, to reduce business burdens and make the rules more practical;
2. re-examines the proposal to privatise Channel 4 as the industry is concerned about the implications for the broadcasting ecology and competition in the advertising marketplace;
3. reviews the Department’s progress on the Online Advertising Programme, she will hear the calls from industry for a more targeted approach to shaping the future landscape for online advertising. It is vital that the Government does not press ahead with regulatory interventions without taking full account of the paramount importance of the gold-standard ASA self-regulatory system and what it already delivers for businesses and the public;
4. that she will be firm in questioning and challenging new regulatory interventions on advertising, as has recently happened with HFSS food and drink advertising, especially where comprehensive advertising rules are already in place. There is scant evidence that advertising bans are the silver bullet solutions that governments hope for, and there will be consequences for the media, sporting and cultural industries which depend on advertising revenue to thrive.

Investing in advertising and marketing is a vital tool of business, driving competition, innovation and economic growth, with £1 spent on advertising delivering £6 to GDP.  It funds the creative industries and the media, delivering consumer choice and supporting skills and jobs across the UK.

We have the world’s most advanced digital advertising marketplace, and a £11.7bn advertising and marketing export industry – all of which make UK advertising a draw for talent across the world. This is matched by our credentials: the UK has won more Cannes LIONS awards than any other European country since 2005 – eclipsing nearly 1,700.”

On the appointment of Jacob Rees-Mogg MP as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Eustace added:

“We welcome the new Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and look forward to working with BEIS on an agenda that champions business needs to drive growth. Advertising is a key engine of the economy and job creation, with every £1 spent on advertising providing a return of £6 to GDP. Our industry drives competition, innovation and helps to keep costs down for consumers – all essential tools as we prepare to weather the cost-of-living crisis together.”