A dedicated cross-party All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has been launched to represent UK creators, with a mission to “champion” their social and economic contribution and deepen policymakers’ understanding of the creator economy.

The APPG will be co-chaired by Feryal Clark MP and Lord Ed Vaizey, two former digital ministers. Clark claims the “genius” of creators has been “undervalued” in Westminster for “too long”.

This is despite a 2024 Oxford Economics Impact Report, which found creators contributed £2.2bn to the UK economy and support over 45,000 jobs.

The forum will be run by the Digital Creator Association and Influencer Marketing Trade Body, with the aim of bringing creators, platforms and the wider creative industry representatives together for “regular dialogue”.

Skills, training, funding, filming infrastructure and industry representation will be just some of the challenges and opportunities tackled.

Director general of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body, Scott Guthrie, explains creators are “no longer just content producers”, arguing they bridge the gap between brands and global audiences, export British culture and generate 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,” says Guthrie.

‘It’s a real-life career’: How brands can promote better care of influencers

The APPG follows YouTube’s inaugural Creator Consultation in July. Based on insights from 10,000 creators, the company called on government to recognise creators as a profession, introduce a dedicated HMRC tax code for creators, offer training schemes and a dedicated minister for creators.

The consultation also found more than half (56%) of UK creators don’t feel they have a voice in shaping government policies which impact their work and growth of the industry is being hampered by a lack of recognition.

According to APPG officer and chair of the Labour Growth Group, Chris Curtis MP, the creator growth story is“ integral to the growth of the nation”. The new forum will work to “remove the barriers holding creators back and unlock their full potential as drivers of economic prosperity across our communities”, he adds.

Downing Street seems receptive to the consultation, with No 10 hosting its first influencer reception at the end of July.

Alongside the APPG, YouTube is partnering with the National Film & TV School to launch a ‘Creator Incubator’ programme, looking at extending technical skills for the next generation of creators.

Betting on trust

As YouTube celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, managing director for UK and Ireland, Alison Lomax, reiterates the important role creators have in “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,” says Lomax.

Influencer marketing has been increasing in prominence for brands in recent months. According to Kantar’s 2025 Media Reactions Report, nearly two-thirds (61%) of marketers plan to increase their spend on influencer content next year, while over half (53%) intend to increase spend on social commerce ads.

In May, 15 new brand signatories were added to the influencer marketing code of conduct, including HSBC, Sainsbury’s and Giffgaff. This took the total number of brand supporters to 39, up 77% in the space of a month.

In terms of innovation, YouTube is investing in artificial intelligence with the release of non-skippable AI-powered ad formats to drive results for brands keen to reach its audience of 47.9 million adults.

According to Ipsos, UK adults spent 78 minutes a day watching YouTube across screens as of May 2025. The data finds YouTube is the largest commercial platform in the UK, ahead of all TV channels, streaming services and social platforms for both reach and watch time.

The platform claims 78% of viewers agree YouTube has the ‘most trusted’ creators and creator content, while 80% of Gen Z surveyed in the UK agreed the platform has the most trusted creators for product recommendations.