“You’ve got to hand it to Billy Bragg. Most of his peers are either playing the Bournemouth Pavilion in an eighties nostalgia night or they’re resuscitating flatlined careers eating caterpillars in the Australian outback. But Bragg, the troubadour of the Kinnock years, has his gaze fixed on higher things than a reunion tour with The Human League or a dose of C-list reality TV. He still believes a pop star can change the world – just a little bit.
Bragg’s cause is the reform of the House of Lords (you can see why a three-minute pop song has so far proved elusive). ”
– Guardian Unlimited
Even though his last album of original songs had a few clunkers on it, I still go to Billy Bragg when I’m feeling particularly scared about the state of the world. Since he started singing about the power of a union in his early twenties, Bragg has used his music to fight for the politics he strongly believes in. He’s never wavered and has always brought his beliefs to every project he’s worked on. He’s an artist in the truest sense. And now it appears that the politicians are listening to him.
According this Guardian article, last week Billy participated in an hour-long session with the minister responsible for cabinet reform. He pitched to him his plan to reform England’s House of Lords. Now that is a celebrity sales pitch I can support.
When you think about how far music’s former rebels have travelled from their radical roots just for a few bucks, and how other stars waste their “star power” on selling cola and cars, Bragg’s efforts make me feel slightly better about the power we bestow upon celebrities.
Thanks Billy.
FYI: Billy will be debating his proposal at the upcoming forum “A Democratic Lords: the Third Stage?” hosted by the Fabian Society on February 25 at 7pm-9pm in the Grand Committee Room, House of Commons.
