UK Tory leader says BBC should not to broadcast Kneecap's Glastonbury set
UK CONSERVATIVE PARTY leader Kemi Badenoch believes the BBC should not broadcast Belfast rap group Kneecap's Glastonbury performance next week.
Badenoch, posting to social media, said as a publicly-funded broadcaster, the BBC should not show Kneecap's gig when one member, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is accused of charges under the British Terrorism Act.
Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, appeared
before Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday
, charged with allegedly displaying a flag of the proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a concert last November.
He was
released on unconditional bail to appear before a judge again in August
. His defence team signalled that they
will be contesting the charges
, and the band has said the accusations are politically-motivated.
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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.
pic.twitter.com/KqUGypvO98
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch)
June 21, 2025
Badenoch, who as the UK's culture minister in the last British government stripped the band of its public funding before a court overturned the decision, shared images of an article detailing that the BCC would broadcast Kneecap's set.
She accused the BBC of showing what she called 'Kneecap propaganda' and claimed that by choosing to broadcast the gig, it would be 'rewarding extremism'. The band recently mocked the Tory party leader in their latest single, The Recap.
The BBC, an independent public service broadcaster, has been contacted for comment.
With reporting by Press Association
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