Kneecap Glastonbury performance 'not appropriate', Starmer says

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think Kneecap's planned Glastonbury Festival performance is "appropriate".He made the comments after Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court charged with a terror offence, relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: "No, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this."This is about the threats that shouldn't be made, I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate."
Mr Ó hAnnaidh, charged under the name Liam O'Hanna, was released on unconditional bail after Wednesday's hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.The prime minister's comments came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC "should not be showing" Kneecap's performance at the festival next week.Badenoch said in an X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: "The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda."One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act."As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism."Responding to the Tory leader's comments, a BBC spokesperson said as the festival's broadcast partner, it "will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers".They added: "Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines."Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival."
Badenoch has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister.Kneecap took aim at Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London's Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician's attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party's election loss.
On Wednesday, Mr Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in "Free Mo Chara" T-shirts.The 27-year-old will appear at the same court for his next hearing on 20 August.
Following the hearing, the rapper said: "For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday."If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September."But most importantly: free, free Palestine."In a statement, posted on social media in May after Mr Ó hAnnaidh was charged, Kneecap said: "We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves."
The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light.Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.Kneecap say they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and would not incite violence against any individual.
Will the PM's words change anything?
Analysis from Charlotte Gallagher, BBC News correspondentWill Kneecap care that the Prime Minister doesn't think they should perform at Glastonbury? Probably not. If anything, it will likely increase the trio's profile. They're selling out venues, getting millions of streams and being talked about by people across the world. Calls by politicians and some celebrities to get Kneecap removed from line ups seem to have made them more famous or infamous - depending on your viewpoint. There were hundreds of people outside Westminster Magistrates' Court supporting Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh aka Mo Chara earlier this week. Many felt Kneecap were representing their views while politicians were not listening to them. Mo Chara is back in court in August - expect similar crowds.
Who are Kneecap?
Kneecap are an Irish-speaking rap trio who have courted controversy with their provocative lyrics and merchandise.The group was formed in 2017 by three friends who go by the stage names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.Their rise to fame inspired a semi-fictionalised film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender.The film won a British Academy of Film Award (Bafta) in February 2025.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

BreakingNews.ie

23 minutes ago

• BreakingNews.ie

Kelsey Parker announces her baby has died

Podcast host Kelsey Parker has announced that her baby has died. Parker revealed she was expecting her third child in January, and on Sunday, shared an Instagram post with the news that her son was 'born sleeping'. Advertisement She lost her husband, The Wanted star Tom Parker, in 2022 after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, and the baby was her first with her new partner Will Lindsay. Parker, who is mother to Aurelia, five, and Bodhi, four, with the late singer, shared a poem on Instagram about the boy she was expecting, whom she and Lindsay had named Phoenix. 'For Phoenix, Born Sleeping, Forever Loved,' the poem began, with a caption: 'Phoenix Parker-Lindsay, you will forever be loved.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kelsey Parker (@being_kelsey) After sharing the post, Parker also put up an Instagram story which read: 'Before I receive an influx of lovely messages and heart-felt well wishes, I want to just say that I truly appreciate everything you are all going to say and share. Advertisement 'But with the news being so raw, I would really like to ensure that we as a family are given space and time to process this devastating and earth-shattering news. 'I love you all and thank you for your understanding and space. 'Love always, Kelsey, Will and The Parker Family.' Parker has previously spoken candidly about how trolls have made her feel guilty for having a new partner. Advertisement She said in March: 'I'm always going to have guilt but what's so hard is that Tom's not here any more, so what do people want me to do? 'Our house was full of so much sadness but now it's full of happiness, the kids deserve that more than anything.' Following her husband's death, Parker has raised money for a brain tumour charity by organising annual charity football matches in his memory. The 34-year-old hosts a podcast with model Georgia Jones called Mum's the Word! where the pair share parenting advice with celebrity guests. Advertisement

Western Telegraph

29 minutes ago

• Western Telegraph

Sir Mark Rowley ‘shocked' at planned protest in support of Palestine Action

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said a protest supporting the 'organised extremist criminal group' was due to take place in Westminster on Monday. He said until the group is proscribed the force has 'no power in law' to prevent the protest taking place, adding that breaches of the law would be 'dealt with robustly'. The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful. Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 20, 2025 The Home Secretary will update Parliament on Monday on the Government's plan to ban Palestine Action following the group's vandalism of two planes at an RAF base. Yvette Cooper will provide MPs with more details on the move to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support it, in a written ministerial statement. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. The incident is being investigated by counter-terror police. The actions that they undertook at Brize Norton were also completely unacceptable and it's not the first Jonathan Reynolds In a statement on Sunday, Sir Mark said: 'I'm sure many people will be as shocked and frustrated as I am to see a protest taking place tomorrow in support of Palestine Action. 'This is an organised extremist criminal group, whose proscription as terrorists is being actively considered. 'Members are alleged to have caused millions of pounds of criminal damage, assaulted a police officer with a sledgehammer and last week claimed responsibility for breaking into an airbase and damaging aircraft. Multiple members of the group are awaiting trial accused of serious offences. 'The right to protest is essential and we will always defend it, but actions in support of such a group go beyond what most would see as legitimate protest. 'Thousands of people attend protests of a different character every week without clashing with the law or with the police. The criminal charges faced by Palestine Action members, in contrast, represent a form of extremism that I believe the overwhelming majority of the public rejects. 'We have laid out to Government the operational basis on which to consider proscribing this group. If that happens we will be determined to target those who continue to act in its name and those who show support for it. 'Until then we have no power in law to prevent tomorrow's protest taking place. We do, however, have the power to impose conditions on it to prevent disorder, damage, and serious disruption to the community, including to Parliament, to elected representatives moving around Westminster and to ordinary Londoners. 'Breaches of the law will be dealt with robustly.' A spokesperson for Palestine Action previously accused the UK of failing to meet its obligation to prevent or punish genocide. The spokesperson said: 'When our Government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.' Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said he could not rule out the possibility of a foreign power being behind Palestine Action. The Business and Trade Secretary told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'It is extremely concerning they gained access to that base and the Defence Secretary is doing an immediate review of how that happened. 'The actions that they undertook at Brize Norton were also completely unacceptable and it's not the first. It's the fourth attack by that group on a key piece of UK defence infrastructure.' The Home Secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is 'concerned in terrorism'. Don't forget about Gaza. While the world is distracted, almost 400 people – queueing for food – have been gunned down by Israeli forces. You don't accidentally kill 400 people waiting for aid, they have been deliberately massacred. The UK must end all arms sales to Israel now. — Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) June 19, 2025 Proscription will require Ms Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. Some 81 organisations have been proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida, far-right groups such as National Action, and Russian private military company the Wagner Group. Former justice secretary Lord Charlie Falconer said vandalising aircraft at RAF Brize Norton would not solely provide legal justification for proscribing the group. Asked whether the group's actions were commensurate with proscription, Lord Falconer told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: 'I am not aware of what Palestine Action has done beyond the painting of things on the planes in Brize Norton, they may have done other things I didn't know. 'But generally, that sort of demonstration wouldn't justify proscription so there must be something else that I don't know about.' Former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf said the Government was 'abusing' anti-terror laws against pro-Palestine activists, as tens of thousands of protesters marched in London on Saturday. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Home Secretary @YvetteCooperMP is banning Palestine Action. We are pleased that the Home Secretary has listened to our representations over the last week. Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF… — Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) June 20, 2025 The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) welcomed the news that Ms Cooper intended to proscribe Palestine Action, saying: 'Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.' Former home secretary Suella Braverman also said it was 'absolutely the correct decision'. A pro-Palestine protester at Saturday's march in central London said it was 'absolutely horrendous' that the Government was preparing to ban Palestine Action. Artist Hannah Woodhouse, 61, told the PA news agency: 'Counter-terrorism measures, it seems, are being used against non-violent peace protesters. 'The peace activists are trying to do the Government's job, which is to disarm Israel.' Palestine Action has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire.

Telegraph

29 minutes ago

• Telegraph

With the US strikes on Iran, the old international order is under threat

SIR – Will the American bombing of Iran lead to another Iraq-style conflict? It is certainly a major breach of the rules-based international order which has largely prevailed since 1945. No doubt Donald Trump and his apologists will continue to justify what has happened. However, it is clear that if there is to be any hope of a return to a better settlement of world affairs then work towards this must start now. At least three things need to happen: a major reconstitution and strengthening of the United Nations (especially in relation to the Security Council); the recommitment by its originators to the 1941 Atlantic Charter; and serious talks on universal nuclear disarmament. Things certainly cannot go on as they are. Andrew McLuskey Ashford, Middlesex SIR – A few days ago, Sir Keir Starmer was adamant that Donald Trump would not get involved in Iran. The US president, along with Israel, has now taken a vital step towards long-term peace in dealing a blow to the nuclear capabilities of the primary sponsor of global terrorism. Now that our Prime Minister has demonstrated his irrelevance on the world stage, let him concentrate on making our country secure. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be proscribed, hate marches in our capital should be prevented and the small boats should be turned back to France. Tim Coles Carlton, Bedfordshire SIR – In light of the bombing of Iran's key nuclear sites, Sir Keir Starmer shows himself to be naive at best when claiming that the Chagos treaty his Government negotiated guarantees the effectiveness of the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia for the next 100 years. As a reminder, Annex 1 section 2 of the treaty states '... the United Kingdom agrees to expeditiously inform Mauritius of any armed attack on a third state directly emanating from the base on Diego Garcia'. Had the B-2s been deployed from Diego Garcia it stands to reason that Mauritius would have instantly warned Iran, one of their key regional allies, of the imminence of the military operation, thus gravely jeopardising its success. Jean Maigrot London SW6 SIR – The protesters who sprayed red paint on the engine of a RAF refuelling aircraft (report, June 22) deserve our sincere thanks. At a stroke, they have revealed the sheer inadequacy of the security of Brize Norton airbase. Having regard to current world events, including the destruction of so many aircraft across Russia, and the situation in the Middle East, the lack of effective security is truly mind-blowing. One can only hope that this warning leads to immediate and effective action across all our Armed Forces everywhere. Jonathan Fogg Loulé, Algarve, Portugal