Jon ‘The Reverend’ McClure has set up a petition on the official website of the Prime Minister’s Office, Number10.gov.uk, aiming to get the Metropolitan Police to scrap the use of Form 696, the use of which McClure has described as “racial discrimination”.
Versions of the form, which is used for risk assessment of gigs, asked for details of the ethnicity of music fans set to attend events, plus the style of music that will be played.
As previously reported, former Undertones singer and head of music industry representation umbrella group UK Music Feargal Sharkey reported the use of the form to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and has called for a judicial review into its use.
The petition is available to view and sign at Petitions.number10.gov.uk/scrapthe696.
See the new issue of NME, out tomorrow (December 3) for an investigation into the use of Form 696, including interviews with McClure, Sharkey, rapper Sway and a member of the Metropolitan Police.