Kneecap apologise to families of Sir David Amess and Jo Cox

Belfast-based rap group Kneecap have apologised to the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox.

The statement posted on X follows the emergence of footage of the group at a concert in November 2023, where one of the band members appears to say: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

The footage is being assessed by counter-terrorism police and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for prosecution.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he did not think “individuals expressing those views should be receiving government funding”.

In a statement, Kneecap said they rejected “any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever.”

They added that “an extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action”.

The trio added: “To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt.”

Labour MP Jo Cox was fatally shot and stabbed in June 2016.

Earlier, the daughter of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, who was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery in 2021 said the rap group should apologise.

Katie Amess said she was “gobsmacked at the stupidity of somebody or a group of people being in the public eye and saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric”.

Sir Keir’s spokesperson said the PM believed the comments were “completely unacceptable” and there would be no further public funds directed towards Kneecap.

Kneecap has previously been given arts funding from the government. Last year, they won a discrimination case against the UK government after it withdrew arts funding for the band, and were awarded £14,250.

The Metropolitan Police have said they are also looking at another video, from November last year, where the footage appeared to show a band member shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a performance in London.

In its statement on Monday, the group said: “Let us be unequivocal: We do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.

“We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history.”

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micháel Martin earlier called on the trio to “urgently clarify” their comments.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Kneecap had become a “hatefest”.

The East Belfast MP said the band’s position was “appalling and outrageous” and said there was a collective political will in London and Dublin to “call out” their comments.

Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland said that Kneecap’s alleged comments crossed a “line from art as a tool of protest and into incitement”.

The first minister of Scotland, John Swinney, backed calls for Kneecap to be axed from Glasgow’s TRNSMT music festival this summer, adding that the band’s alleged comments had “crossed a line” and were “beyond the pale”.

There was also a call by two MPs for the group to be removed from the Glastonbury Festival line-up in June.

In a letter to Sir Michael Eavis, a co-creator of the festival, Labour MP David Taylor said it would be “deeply troubling” to see the band performing at the event.

North Antrim MP and leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) Jim Allister said he had written to organisers of the Glastonbury Festival asking them to drop Kneecap.

A BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.

“The Glastonbury broadcast plans will be considered in the coming weeks, and all output will adhere to our editorial guidelines,” they added.

None of the members of Kneecap has been charged with any offences.