The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Charity singlevat plea
THE STARS behind a potential Christmas number one single, which aims to raise money for the Hillsborough families, yesterday called on the Chancellor to waive VAT on it.
The version of the Hollies’ hit He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother by the Justice Collective was launched at Liverpool’s HMV store yesterday by stars including football legend Kenny Dalglish and comedian John Bishop.
The song was produced by Robbie Williams’ long-time collaborator Guy Chambers, with all the proceeds going to cover the legal costs of the families.
The song was inspired by the sight of two children who walked out to the track during a tribute to the dead at Liverpool’s crosscity rivals Everton.
Dalglish, Bishop and Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram all called on the Chancellor to waive theVAT on the single, something he has already done for the X Factor winner’s single, the proceeds of which are also going to charity.
Dalglish said: “We are trying to get the same for the Hillsborough families. I think it’s important that the Government does that for us.
“I just hope it’s getting near the end for the families because they have suffered long enough.”
Mr Rotheram, who appears on the record alongside artists like Robbie Williams, former X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson and Spice Girl Mel C, said: “I wrote to the Chancellor George Osborne before X Factor and we haven’t yet had a formal response from him.
“We tried to get hold of theTreasury yesterday and we are still hopeful that he will waive the VAT on our single.”
John Bishop hoped the issue would get resolved, adding: “You can’t realistically have one rule for one and not for another.”
He said everyone involved was keeping their fingers crossed for a Christmas number one but played down his contribution.
He said: “I was in the recording studio. There was me, Kenny, Alan Hansen, Heston Blumenthal, Steve Rotheram the MP, all singing.
“Then we were followed in by Holly Johnson and RobbieWilliams. I think we’re on it somewhere but I think they probably thought, ‘more Robbie than Bishop’. I’m more of a backing singer really, I’m more of a Ringo.”