Kneecap apologise to households of Sir David Amess and Jo Cox

Belfast-based Rap crew Kneecap have apologised to the households of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox.

The commentary posted on X follows the emergence of photos of the gang at a live performance in November 2023, the place some of the band individuals seems to mention: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP”.

The photos is being assessed via counter-terrorism police and Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch has known as for prosecution.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer mentioned he didn’t assume “individuals expressing those views should be receiving government funding”.

In a commentary, Kneecap mentioned they “reject 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 once fatally shot and stabbed in June 2016.

Earlier, the daughter of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, who was once stabbed to demise at a constituency surgical procedure in 2021 mentioned the rap crew must apologise.

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

The Metropolitan Police have mentioned they’re additionally having a look at some other video, from November closing yr, the place the photos perceived to display a band member shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a efficiency in London.

In its commentary on Monday, the gang mentioned: “Let us be unequivocal: We do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.

“We condemn all assaults on civilians, all the time. It is rarely k. We know this greater than somebody, given our country’s historical past.”

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 explain” 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 “name out” their comments.

Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland said that Kneecap’s alleged comments “crosses a line from artwork as a device 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 “past the faded”.

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 published spouse, the BBC will probably be bringing audiences intensive track protection from Glastonbury, with artists booked via the pageant 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 individuals of Kneecap has been charged with any offences.