Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned Irish language rap trio Kneecap after a member of the group allegedly called for the death of Conservative MPs at a concert
Keir Starmer has condemned Irish language rap trio Kneecap after a member of the group allegedly called for the death of Tory MPs.
Video emerged of the group at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” The PM’s official spokesman said Mr Starmer believed the comments were “completely unacceptable” and “condemns them in the strongest possible terms”.
Kemi Badenoch said Kneecap’s “anti-British hatred has no place in our society” as she called for them to face action. Scotland Yard is looking into the incident, along with another concert from November 2024 in which a member of the band appeared to shout “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – groups which are banned as terrorist organisations in the UK.
Katie Amess, the daughter of murdered Conservative MP Sir David Amess, said: “It is just beyond belief that human beings would speak like that in this day and age, and it is extremely dangerous.” She called on the group to apologise, saying she was “absolutely gobsmacked at the stupidity of somebody or a group of people being in the public eye and saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric”.
READ MORE: Kneecap under investigation by counter terrorism police after ‘kill your MP’ comment
Ms Badenoch, the Tory leader, said it is “good” the police are looking into the allegation, adding: “Kneecap’s glorification of terrorism and anti-British hatred has no place in our society. After the murder of Sir David Amess, this demands prosecution.”
Conservative MP Sir David was stabbed to death while meeting constituents in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 2021.
Downing Street indicated there would be no further public funds directed towards Kneecap. “I don’t think organisations such as that should be receiving taxpayers’ money,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman said.
In November, Kneecap won a discrimination challenge over a decision by Kemi Badenoch, who was previously Business Secretary, to refuse them a £14,250 funding award after the UK government conceded it was “unlawful”.
Meanwhile, Labour MP David Taylor has written to the organisers of the Glastonbury Festival, urging them to remove Kneecap from this year’s line-up. In a letter addressed to founder Sir Michel Eavis and posted on X, the Hemel Hempstead MP said: “By hosting such a group, Glastonbury Festival risks undermining its proud tradition of promoting peace, unity and social responsibility.” The band are listed to play on the West Holts stage on the Saturday of the June festival.
Counter-terrorism police are assessing footage reportedly from the November 2024 gig in London’s Kentish Town Forum and the November 2023 concert.
On Sunday, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We were made aware of a video on April 22, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the counter-terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required. We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023.” He also said the force “are assessing both to determine whether further police investigation is required”.
Kneecap, made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, have claimed they are facing a “co-ordinated smear campaign” after speaking out about “the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”. In a statement on X/Twitter last week, after criticising Israel at Coachella festival, the Belfast group said: “For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes.”
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