King’s Speech

Lord Brennan of Canton Excerpts

Tuesday 19th May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Rebuck (Lab)]

My Lords, I will speak about the vital importance of creativity and imagination, the twin engines of our world-leading creative industries, and of books in particular. I declare my interests as a former publishing CEO and book charity founder.

Research conclusively shows that reading for pleasure fires the imagination, builds empathy and is the single greatest predictor of academic success, life outcomes and well-being, regardless of social background. Books are also a major economic force, driving exports and inspiring global film franchises, TV series and plays. It is therefore alarming that, according to the last yearly survey, only one in three—32%—of eight to 18 year-olds chooses to read for pleasure. That is the lowest figure on record. Less than 50% of adults read a book a year, and too many parents no longer read to their pre-schoolers: 50% of five year-olds have never been read to. This is despite powerful evidence that, when adults read to babies, their breathing, heartbeat and brain rhythm synchronise in the most magical way.

The problem runs deeper. The Financial Times reported that human beings may have reached peak cognitive powers in 2022, and we have been in decline ever since.

[Lord Brennan of Canton (Lab)]

I thought I was just getting old.

[Baroness Rebuck (Lab)]

It might also be true in this House.

University students struggle to concentrate on classic texts and, this year, the first UK reading census found that 30% of the population are too distracted to read, and a further 16% are completely disengaged. As the Guardian editorial highlighted, we live in an attention span crisis, with a tsunami of data, where truth is downgraded and reality itself sometimes seems fake.

This is such a troubling environment for our children, as the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, so often and powerfully reminds us. They are captured by addictive algorithms and rising anxiety. Books, by contrast, offer quiet, immersive pleasure, real entertainment and, as the Children’s Laureate argues, genuine happiness rather than digital “sedation”. Neuroscience from the Queen’s Reading Room charity shows that just five minutes of reading a day can reduce stress by 20%.

The Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, announced a national year of reading this year, 2026: the first in the age of AI and a true public/private collaboration, delivered by the National Literacy Trust. Already, the campaign has reached 2 million children, distributed 600,000 books and signed up 11,000 teachers, 7,000 schools, 3,000 libraries, 150 local authorities and 800 partner organisations, ranging from the Premier League to parent-teacher associations and prisons. The campaign is also recruiting a growing army of community volunteers, already at 30,000 and aiming for 100,000, linking schools, homes and libraries. I welcome the Education Select Committee’s investigation into reading for pleasure, the Government’s commitment to a library in every primary school and additional funding for secondary school books. I also support calls for regular story time in primaries that distinguishes listening for pleasure from formal skills teaching.

King’s College research also shows that, like reading, looking at a painting reduces cortisol levels by over 20%. Our splendid free museums are a brilliant policy legacy, and anything that adds friction and complexity, such as charging for visitors, should be avoided in my opinion.

In the book industry, we must protect the creative pipeline with robust copyright and ensure that writers are fairly and transparently remunerated. AI is trained on human creativity. Human imagination has never been more important or more under threat. Reading for pleasure should be nurtured throughout the school years, including a re-evaluation of cuts to arts and humanities in further education, which the Minister might want to comment on later. Interestingly, McKinsey has pivoted to hiring philosophy and literature graduates, who are able to think creatively and are better equipped for the AI world of work.

The Government have a key role to play in reversing the decline in reading for pleasure, restoring its enrichment and joy for a generation, and thereby turbocharging the creative economy. The journey has only just begun.

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[Lord Brennan of Canton (Lab)]

My Lords, I too echo the congratulations to the two maiden speakers who we have heard so far this evening: the noble Lord, Lord Hobby, who I worked closely with when I was a shadow schools Minister, and the noble Lord, Lord Blackwater. I particularly enjoyed his devastating critique of the previous Conservative Government’s policy on music in education and hope to hear much more of it from him during his time here in this House.

Culture is part of our debate today and this is Ivors week, because the Ivor Novello Awards take place on Thursday. It is the world’s greatest award ceremony for songwriters and composers. I should declare that I am a member of the Ivors Academy and I pay tribute to Tom Gray, the chair of that academy, and Roberto Neri, its chief executive. They do so much to try to enhance and protect creator remuneration in this country. It is also because Ivor Novello came from Cardiff, which is where I come from.

I praise the Government first for introducing and laying an SI, which many noble Lords may not be aware of, that will put the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority on a statutory footing, as an external whistleblowing authority for the creative industries. I congratulate both Jen Smith, the CEO of CIISA, and the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy of The Shaws, on their work in getting that important body to this stage. I hope the Government will also take reserve powers to ensure it gets properly funded.

In the King’s Speech, we heard about the draft Bill regarding ticketing. I welcome that, though I wish it was more than a draft Bill. It was one of the recommendations in my own recently published report, commissioned by the Culture Committee in the Commons, on live and electronic music. It contained what I call the seven essentials of live music: celebration, by embracing live music not just for money-making but as a public good; grass roots, by nurturing grass-roots and community live music for its own sake and as an incubator of future success; safety, by prioritising fans from harm of injury, crime, violence, harassment and discrimination at live events; accessibility, by thinking and acting accordingly at all times; transport, by making live music a central part of transport policy; having a voice to promote and support the voice of music fans; and ticketing, by treating fans with respect, providing transparency and ending rip-off practices.

I hope that the Government come forward sooner rather than later with the actual Bill and introduce it to Parliament. I hope that, when they do so, they also put into the Bill another recommendation in my report: to at least take the powers to put the live trust levy, which is currently voluntary, on a statutory basis to ensure that it is properly funded.

Last week I attended the Great Escape music event in Brighton, which promotes new music, where I met a young man called Isaac Neilson. He is a working-class artist from the Derbyshire town of Buxton who has been trying to build his career as an artist and songwriter since 2022. Isaac is performing a gig every day in 2026 to try to build his career. He is currently on day 139 of that challenge. If any noble Lords, or anyone else listening to this debate, has any venues in their area that they think he might be able to perform at, I hope they will offer him that opportunity.

I want to mention one other thing to the Government, which concerns recorded music. Battery Studios, one of our iconic studios, is in danger of closure and redevelopment. We ought by now to have measures to designate assets of cultural value to protect such places, where everyone from Paul McCartney to Kylie Minogue have recorded.