According to The Independent, the former US president and the first lady are due to arrive in the UK today (Tuesday, September 16). Their itinerary begins at Windsor Castle, where they will be hosted by King Charles and given a ceremonial welcome. On Thursday, September 18, they are scheduled to visit Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife at Chequers, the official country residence in Buckinghamshire.

The trip has sparked widespread backlash, with a series of protests organised throughout the week. The Stop Trump Coalition will demonstrate on Windsor High Street this evening, while Wednesday, September 17, will see a large-scale march through central London, culminating in a mass rally at Parliament Square.

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Among those throwing their weight behind the protests is Billy Bragg, who took to social media to promote the central London gathering and explain why he believes the visit represents a “humiliation” for the UK. Sharing a poster for the ‘National Demonstration Against Trump’s State Visit,’ he urged people to assemble tomorrow at Portland Place at 2pm before joining the rally at 5pm.

In his caption, Bragg wrote: “Donald Trump’s visit to the UK this week is a moment of national humiliation. He will regard the red carpet rolled out for him as an act of fealty that gives him the right to punish the UK should we do anything that displeases him.”

 

 

 

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A post shared by Billy Bragg (@billybraggofficial)

He continued: “Sucking up to bullies never pays off. They sense weakness and revel in exploiting it. This Wednesday, we have a chance to show not just that Trump is not welcome, but also that we reject the Trumpification of UK politics. I’ll be playing some songs at the Stop Trump rally in Parliament Square. Hope to see you there.”

Bragg has long been a prominent voice in British politics, frequently using his platform to engage with social and political issues. He was outspoken in his criticism of the Conservative Party during the 2024 general election and earlier this year released the single ‘Hundred Year Hunger’, expressing solidarity with Palestine and voicing support for Irish rap group Kneecap.

As Trump’s visit draws protestors to the streets, Bragg’s involvement underscores the enduring role of music and cultural figures in amplifying dissent. His presence at the rally not only reinforces his reputation as an artist-activist but also highlights the wider resistance among many in the UK who are determined to show Trump is not welcome.

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In a recent interview on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Doncaster rock star said about a potential political career: “I have actually thought about that, I know it’s crazy. I feel like you start something as a musician and then you kind of connect with people on the daily, like I always make an effort to see people outside the gigs and see people walk around the festival. This whole community was built on human connection, about how people live and what people struggle with. I thought maybe one day, I think I could do something that would be, I could provide some good somewhere. I think that has actually crossed my mind – Yungblud the politician.”

Yungblud then went on to discuss modren-day notions of masculinity, explaining how this is something he explores in his upcoming album. “With this album, I said at the start of it, I really want to embrace my masculinity, which is a crazy thing to say in 2025. What went into this new album was, like, there is a different type of masculinity. There is a beautiful, pure, loving, caring, but also … I like to box, I like to sing, but I also like to wear a kilt. There’s a new type of masculinity that can be out there and that can be shown, and, as I say, with this community what I want to give is I want to give love and pure love.”

The rock singer, who has always been very open about his mental health struggles, also talked about how he deals with hate and the impact it has on him. In a talk with The Independent, he opened up saying: “I’ll never forget, someone came to me in a pub in east London and just was like, ‘your music is terrible and I don’t believe you and I hate it. I remember, I was, like, 22 and I was trying to like (think) how do I respond to this? And I kind of was just, like, ‘Oh yeah, cool’. I really shut down. I think about that probably once a week.”

The pop-punk musician, known for songs including ‘Cotton Candy’ and ‘Fleabag’, has had two number one albums in the UK chart with ‘Weird!’ in 2020 and his self-titled album in 2022.

Earlier in the year, he received the Disruptor of the Year award at the Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards, held in Liverpool.

The album features a wide range of artists, spanning various genres. Damon Albarn, Kate Bush, The Clash, Jamiroquai, Hans Zimmer, and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra are amongst more than 1,000 artists who have released a silent album in protest of the British government’s proposed changes to AI copyright laws. All profits will be given to the charity Help Musicians. The full list is available here.

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The track-listing for the record simply spells out the message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.” In 2023, the UK music contributed a record £7.6 billion to the economy. 

The album features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces which showcases what the future could become for musicians in the UK if the changes go ahead.

In a statement released alongside the album, the purpose of the project was made explicit: “In late 2024, the UK government proposed changing copyright law to allow artificial intelligence companies to build their products using other people’s copyrighted work—music, artworks, text, and more—without a licence. The musicians on this album came together to protest this.”

The project was organised and put together by Ed Newton-Rex. Newton-Rex was formerly the lead of the audio team at Stability AI, resigning in November 2023 over the company’s stance that training AI models on copyrighted work fell under ‘fair use’. The following January, he launched Fairly Trained, an initiative that recognises and certifies AI companies that obtain consent to data mine protected works.

A spokesman for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said in a statement: “The UK’s current regime for copyright and AI is holding back the creative industries, media and AI sector from realising their full potential – and that cannot continue. That’s why we have been consulting on a new approach that protects the interests of both AI developers and right holders and delivers a solution which allows both to thrive… No decisions have been taken, no moves will be made until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives.”

The album comes just weeks before the end of the government’s consultation period on the issue. The government’s preferred approach is an ‘opt-out’ system, forcing artists to actively request for the removal of their work. Alternative proposals have been suggested, such as an opt-in, or a model which compensates the artists fairly for access to their work, as well as allowing them to profit from any projects which make use of their work.

The new plans fail to reimburse artists for AI recreating and copying their work, stifle creativity, and the proposed opt-out scheme places an unnecessary burden on artists, critics say. The petition was signed by Bush, Radiohead star Thom Yorke, ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and The Cure frontman Robert Smith.

Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney were also voices that spoke out against the law. During a recent interview on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the former Beatles member said: “You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off … We’re the people, you’re the government! You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job. So you know, if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them.”

Response to the album online has been overwhelmingly positive. Yusuf/Cat Stevens shared the project on his X account, seemingly bringing the issue to a new audience. One user commented under the musician’s post, saying, “AI should be banned from harvesting the products of human creativity in the arts, music, writing, or painting. Limit it to diagnostics for science, tech, engineering, medicine, and housework. Free people to think and be paid for their creativity.”

AI should be banned from harvesting the products of human creativity in the arts, music, writing or painting.
Limit it to Diagnostics for Science tech, engineering , medicine, house work.
Free people to think and be paid for their creativity.
Grow the Arts economy don’t kill it.

— Phil (@PhilipBagLowe) February 25, 2025

The debate is raging in other countries too. Two weeks ago, a judge in Delaware ruled in favour of a copyright holder against an AI company who claimed their practices were covered by ‘fair use’.

With only two weeks of the consultation period left, ‘Is This What We Want?’ represents the final push to influence those who can really make a difference. Whether the project will be able to change the minds of a seemingly entrenched government position is yet to be seen, though the UK creative sector isn’t going down without a fight.

This article was co-reported and co-written by Lewis Pinto and Marie Choquet