Freelance May/Junel 2016 • 5 Steve Bell’s lectern strokers STEVE BELL, Guardian , described his 35 years chronicling “the monstrous conspiracy we call government.” Although he’s a mem- ber of Freelance Branch, at whose February meeting he was speaking, Steve is “busier putting the freelance point of view at chapel” (the workplace- based unit of NUJ organisation.) Steve ’s “been in the Union since the Seventies,” and it “enrages me constantly how media owners try to grab all rights,” Guardian contracts being particularly “appalling”. Starting out on kid’s comics, Steve then “worked for The Leveller for no money” for a certain Tim Gopsill (now of LFB Committee) as edi- tor. Then followed “stuff” for trade unions before he “got a break on Time Out which was wonderful” until the staff went on strike and then de- fected to found City Limits. The Guardian in 1980 were look- thing he says” but he has to take the Steve showed us his first sketch of An early sketch of Blair’s ing for stuff to go alongside Doones- piss out of him.” Blair with one angry eye and the “mad eye” from a party bury. Steve’s If… strip at the Guard- In the early 1990s Steve was “dis- “twinkly right eye”. (See photo). conference, described by the artist ian hadn’t been running long when patched to party conferences” where According to Steve, Cameron he sketched then Labour leader Neil “copies Blair’s gestures, as did Ed Photo © Hazel Dunlop; “along came the Falklands War, a Blair sketch © Steve Bell surreal moment – a nonsensical cod Kinnock at work. While Kinnock at (Milliband)” – Cameron is, Steve colonial war suddenly broke out… conference was a “podium-shagger”, said, just a “Blair tribute act” who What was happening was obscene Blair was a “lectern stroker” and does Blair better than Blair ever did. and absurd, that’s where the strip Gordon Brown – depicted by Steve Steve offered in evidence Cameron’s found its feet.” as the Incredible Hulk at one confer- exceptionally “smooth complexion” Steve takes thousands of pho- ence – used to “wreck” the podium by way of explanation for his depic- tos at party conferences, as well as during speeches. tion of Cameron with a condom drawing politicians at conferences Steve had a lightbulb moment at over his head. from life, trying to “get” the essence a New Labour conference, when Steve’s encountered Cameron of political figures, particularly new he saw “something about twice: on both occasions Cameron ones. Corbyn presents a dilemma. echoing Thatcher… an angry star- let him know he didn’t like “the con- Steve agrees with “just about every- ing left eye and twinkling right eye.” dom thing”, so Steve made a mental note to continue with it. He original- A pay in the Sun ly drew Cameron as a jellyfish after his pledge to run the “most transpar- THE FREELANCE has heard third-hand that rates have been changed at ent government” ever. But in colour, the Sun. The case we have heard of affects shifts payments and appears Cameron-as-jellyfish meant drawing to be unilateral. You can guess the direction of change. So can you please him in light blue ink, followed by a go now to www.londonfreelance.org/rates and submit – in strict confi- complicated blue-grey wash, which dence – the amounts being paid for shifts, words or photos by News UK More online… proved “too technically difficult.” titles, now? Thank you. We had more reports © Matt Salusbury than would fit. Rather than print an odd num- ber of pages, we’ve put You could get £000s from copiers these on www.lon- donfreelance.org/fl – THE AUTHORS’ LICENSING and Another had “been expecting each magazine they appear in. The George Viner Collecting Society distributes pay- maybe £45. Instead I got a fraction Meanwhile, the NUJ is discussing •• Memorial Fund Awards ment for “secondary uses” of writ- under £2000 – 85 per cent of it with ALCS ways of bringing online for Black and Minority ers’ work, such as photocopying in was from ‘reproduction of journals’ publications into the fold – even Ethnic members libraries. Its annual distribution hap- in the UK.” Topping that, a member where these are free to readers, World Press Free- pened recently and members have reported that “a host of short maga- others make money collating them •• dom Day – 3 May 2016 been reportingback. zine pieces (some 100 words only), a into press clippings services, but Council of Europe One notes that this was a particu- few long features and a book chalked they typically don’t have an ISSN. •• seeks protection for larly good year for “reproduction of up £3500 for a couple of hours’ We hope to bring news soon on an journalists journals” – leading to them receiving work logging these.” The total dis- increase in the proportion of the Germany, France and £1522.15 after commission – and tributed was £22.5 million to 75,000 money collected that goes to free- •• the Netherlands put added that “I shouldn’t look down ALCS members. lance writers. proposals against unfair upon the £3.04 Public Lending Right To register to claim, you need to Illustrators and photographers contracts payment I got from Estonia.” (ALCS go to www.alcs.co.uk – and then should contact their equivalent col- British Library cor- also collects these payments for you log your articles with the col- lecting society at www.dacs.org. •• recting Public Lending lending of works by public libraries lecting society, giving the Interna- uk – and to get UK Public Lending Right error. from several countries.) tional Standard Serial Number of Right go to www.plr.uk.com