Elton John has become the latest high-profile musician to enter the debate about internet piracy after writing to Lord Mandelson to pledge support for the peer’s proposals to disconnect people who persistently flout the law.

The music industry is riven with internal division over the Business Secretary’s proposal to suspend the internet accounts of those repeatedly caught sharing music, after an influential group of artists wrote in The Times that the proposals were “grossly disproportionate”.

The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), whose members include Tom Jones, Annie Lennox and Robbie Williams, says that it is against file sharing but believes that disconnecting users would "reduce the civil liberties of every one of us in the country in order to afford a disincentive threat to a small minority of egregious offenders".

The row has pitted the FAC against artists such as Abba, James Blunt and Lily Allen, who is leading calls by other artists in favour of Lord Mandelson’s plans.

John has now placed himself in that group, writing to the peer: "For what it is worth, I am of the view that the unchecked proliferation of illegal downloading [even on a 'non-commercial' basis] will have a seriously detrimental effect on musicians, and particularly young musicians and those composers who are not performing artists."

Allen has set up a website to argue against the FAC's viewpoint. She wrote yesterday: "I want to make it clear that I'm not after a fight with the Featured Artists Coalition – I want us artists to stand together on this – but they've released a new statement which just doesn't make sense.

"The FAC seems to be viewing the Government's proposed legislation as an attack on freedom and liberty, but stealing's not really a human right, is it?"

The singer has uploaded supportive messages on to the website from members of bands such as Muse, Keane and Elbow, as well as her conversation with Blunt, the army officer-turned-singer, who voiced his support for disconnection in a letter to The Times yesterday.

Blunt wrote: "Peter Mandelson is looking to engage the internet service providers who, in my opinion, handle stolen goods, and should take much more responsibility.

"How this legislation pans out, and if it goes through at all, is critical to the survival of the British music business; critical to thousands of jobs; and critical to our ability to nurture and develop great musicians and the songs and albums that we would hope to listen to in the future."

The consultation period on Lord Mandelson's plans ends on September 29, with the various organisations that make up the music industry all expected to submit their views.The industry is split, with the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, as well as the Music Producers Guild, which represents studio producers, lending their support to the FAC.

The peer's proposal came two months after the Government’s Digital Britain report, published in June, failed to back disconnection as a deterrent for pirates, instead suggesting that websites that hosted illicit content be blocked, and persistent pirates have their connections slowed.

UK Music, which represents the whole music business, has already been forced to drop all mention of disconnection from its public statements in an attempt to retain unity.

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