IMTB to co-run a new All-Party Parliamentary Group designed as a forum for Creators to engage policymakers

A new dedicated, cross-party forum to champion the creator economy was unveiled today at the YouTube Festival, an annual industry event in London. 

The new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) will act as a vital bridge between the UK’s creators and Westminster. The group’s formation follows feedback from over 10,000 digital creators who took part in YouTube’s inaugural Creator Consultation earlier this summer.

The new APPG’s mission is to champion the significant social and economic contributions of UK creators while working with policymakers to deepen their understanding of the digital creator economy and advocate effectively for the sector. Two former Digital Ministers - Feryal Clark MP and Lord Ed Vaizey - will co-chair the cross-party group of parliamentarians taking part. As co-secretariat, IMTB will ensure the working programme addresses the commercial infrastructure needed for sustainable growth in the digital creator economy.

Creators are a dynamic and growing force within the creative industries with the potential to power a new era of innovation, contributing over £2.2 billion* to the UK economy and supporting over 45,000 jobs*.  However, the Consultation revealed that UK creator growth is significantly hampered by a lack of recognition. This is compounded by significant gaps in support - including skills, training, funding, studio space, and filming permits - which undermines creators' ability to innovate, reach new audiences, build their businesses, and support economic growth. 

The forum will tackle the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the sector, including skills, training and funding opportunities, improvements to filming infrastructure, alongside the need for greater government and industry representation. The new group will be run by IMTB alongside the Digital Creator Association.  

The APPG will bring creators, platforms and the wider creative industry representatives together for regular dialogue, channelling firsthand creator perspectives through government consultations and championing the community's work through informative campaigns, driving key stakeholder engagement and advocacy.

Alison Lomax, Managing Director for YouTube UK & Ireland:  

“Creators are a growth engine for the UK. They’re building businesses, attracting global audiences, and exporting UK culture around the world. Without targeted support for this critical creative sector, we risk undermining a key source of future growth and revenue for this country’s  £115bn creative industries. This landmark Parliamentary group solely dedicated to the interests of UK creators will provide a vital parliamentary focus to help turn the Creative Industries Industrial Strategy's ambitions for our sector into reality.”

Feryal Clark MP, Co-Chair of the APPG, said:

“Digital creators are the trailblazers of a new creative revolution - rewriting the rules of culture, building empires from their bedrooms, driving billions into our economy, and projecting Britain’s voice onto the global stage like never before.

 For too long, their genius has been undervalued in Westminster. This new cross-party forum will put that right: tearing down the barriers that stifle talent, championing creators as pioneers of our time, and making sure Britain leads the world as the ultimate home of creativity, innovation and ambition.”

Chris Curtis MP, APPG Officer and Chair of the Labour Growth Group said:

“I'm delighted to be a founding member of this groundbreaking All-Party Parliamentary Group for Digital Creators. As Chair of the Labour Growth Group, I've seen firsthand how innovative sectors can drive the economic growth across the country. The creator economy perfectly embodies this potential, contributing billions to our economy and supporting tens of thousands of jobs.”

“This APPG will ensure that Westminster fully recognises creators as the dynamic entrepreneurs they are, building businesses that export British culture globally while generating significant economic value here at home. The creator growth story is integral to the growth of the nation - supporting innovation, creating good jobs, and building the industries of the future. Through this forum, we'll work to remove the barriers holding creators back and unlock their full potential as drivers of economic prosperity across our communities.”

The APPG is the next phase in a nationwide effort to ensure creators are recognised and supported, fostering both their own success and the growth of the wider creative industries. Alongside the new APPG, YouTube is partnering with the prestigious National Film & TV School (NFTS) to launch the 'Creator Incubator,' a new programme to cultivate technical skills in the next generation of creators. This partnership will extend to a special NFTS webinar on September 29th which will explore how the platform is reshaping the UK’s creative economy.

Scott Guthrie, Director General of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body, said:

"The Creator Consultation demonstrated the commercial maturity of the creator economy - these are sophisticated media businesses driving brand partnerships and audience engagement at unprecedented scale. What emerged clearly is that creators are no longer just content producers; they're the bridge between brands and global audiences, exporting British culture and generating significant commercial value. The APPG must now focus on the regulatory and commercial frameworks that underpin this ecosystem: establishing clear industry standards, updating business classification systems, and creating the policy environment where brand-creator partnerships can flourish. As co-secretariat, we'll ensure the working programme addresses the commercial infrastructure needed for sustainable growth in the digital creator economy."

Phil Hughes, CEO of the Digital Creators Association, said:

 “The launch of the Creator focussed APPG is an incredibly exciting development for creators and the creator economy.  Increased co-operation with, and access to parliamentarians is imperative in getting creators the credibility, access and assistance that they deserve.”

IMTB continues to be vocal about creators' needs

• We spoke earlier this month in the European Parliament, calling for creators to receive prompt payment and protection from copyright and AI infringement.
• Last week, we represented creators in a panel discussion with experts from the European Commission, Euroconsumers - Consumer rights organisation - and the European Advertising Standards Alliance.
• We also delivered a keynote address at Foresight - New Digital Age’s flagship annual conference about the shift in power driven by the creator economy.

*2024 Oxford Economics Impact Report  

About YouTube

Launched in May 2005, YouTube’s mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. We believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share and build community through our stories. YouTube is a Google company.

About IMTB

The IMTB is a UK-based not-for-profit professional membership organisation dedicated to building a robust, sustainable future for the influencer marketing industry through increased accountability, governance and a unified voice.

Launched in October 2021 with six founding members, the IMTB now counts circa. 30 progressive creator economy companies as members.

Member organisations sign up to a code of conduct when joining the IMTB. The code articulates specific requirements for members. These are the behaviours that members must demonstrate when they are providing business services and ensure our members are always responsible, accountable, transparent and competent.

IMTB represents influencer marketing on the Committee of Advertising Practice ("CAP") as a member. CAP is responsible for writing and updating the rules on advertising in the UK via the CAP (Non-broadcast Advertising) Code. 

CAP is the sister organisation of the Advertising Standards Authority ("ASA") - the UK’s independent advertising regulator that administers the CAP Code to keep ads legal, decent, honest and truthful.

IMTB co-owns the Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct alongside ISBA. The Code, first launched by ISBA in September 2021 and updated in May 2022 and November 2024, aims to standardise good practices and guidance with brands, agencies and creators. It covers areas including disclosure, transparency, pay parity, and effective representation.

In 2024 IMTB co-founded the European Influencer Marketing Alliance - a federation of professional influencer marketing organisations across Europe. EIMA was founded to bring a unified voice for creator economy constituents to regulators, legislators, media, academics and other key stakeholders at a time of tremendous growth within the industry but also a time of increased legislative and regulatory scrutiny.