A PARLIAMENTARY candidate wants to protect independent music venues facing closure.

Beatrice Bass, who used to be a professional bass player, will fight the next election as the Liberal Democrats candidate for Hove and Portslade.

She wants to introduce a policy to prevent smaller music venues from shutting.

She said: “I understand the importance of grass root music venues.

“More than 35 per cent of venues in the UK have been shut in the last decade and I feel passionately about protecting remaining venues from further closures.

“In Brighton and Hove, we lost the Freebutt, Pressure Point, Blind Tiger Club and Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar.”

Ms Bass will propose a new policy motion to protect music venues at the upcoming Liberal Democrat autumn conference in Bournemouth.

The motion, called Music Venues, will be debated and voted on by party members on Monday.

She said: “My policy will ensure that venues are protected through legislative changes, listing them as assets of community value and providing more funding.”