Husband of murdered Tory MP says Kneecap apology not ‘particularly genuine’ as group’s Glastonbury set called into question

Video has emerged in recent days 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.”

Ms Cox was murdered in 2016 while serving as a member of parliament in the UK. She was stabbed and shot to death.

“It’s fine to say that you’re sorry for it, but the way that they have actually spoken about it is to suggest that it’s a conspiracy, that they have been targeted unfairly and for me that then doesn’t come across as unfortunately particularly genuine,” Mr Cox told the BBC today.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Cox said: “I went back to check whether the ‘kill your local MP’ comment was taken out of context. It wasn’t. It’s good they have apologised – especially to David’s [Amess] family- but being ‘politically radical’ doesn’t excuse condoning violence or those who perpetuate it.

The organisers of Glastonbury have been told to decide whether Kneecap should still perform at this year’s festival amid the controversy.

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also urged the promoters of gigs featuring the rap trio and their management to “take some responsibility”.

Ms Cooper joined those condemning the band, after a member of the group appeared to call for the death of Tory MPs, telling Times Radio that the comments are a “total disgrace”.

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.

Asked if the band should still be at Glastonbury, Ms Cooper told Times Radio: “That’s a matter for the organisers.”

She went on: “What they’re reported to have said is a total disgrace.

“It’s dangerous and irresponsible to say these sorts of things, and I hope that everybody involved – not just the band – but also those involved surrounding them and those involved in events, also take some responsibility on this and looks very seriously at the consequences of these kinds of remarks, not just what’s been said.”

Overnight the trio apologised to the families of two murdered MPs.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the Belfast group comprising Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh said they “reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual”.

They also addressed the families of MPs David Amess and Jo Cox, and said: “We never intended to cause you hurt.

“Kneecap’s message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs. No smear campaign will change that,” they added.

They said footage had been deliberately taken out of context and was being “exploited and weaponised”, and they have “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah.

Labour MP Ms Cox was stabbed and shot in 2016 while Conservative David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021.

Labour MP David Taylor has written to Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis to say it would be “deeply troubling” to see the band performing at the event.

The band are scheduled to play on the Saturday of this June’s festival.

In his letter to Eavis, shared on X, Mr Taylor, the MP for Hemel Hempstead, said: “I urge you to reconsider the decision to host Kneecap and remove them from the list of performers.

“Doing so would send a clear message that Glastonbury stands firmly against violence, terrorism, and political extremism in all its forms.”

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Rap trio Kneecap said condemnation from Downing Street and UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is an “effort to derail the real conversation” about Gaza.

Mrs Badenoch called for a member of the group to be prosecuted after a video emerged from a November 2023 gig, appearing to show him saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

British prime minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said the prime minister believes the comments were “completely unacceptable” and “condemns them in the strongest possible terms”.

The band has previously claimed they are facing a “co-ordinated smear campaign” after speaking out about “the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.

The statement said: “Establishment figures, desperate to silence us, have combed through hundreds of hours of footage and interviews, extracting a handful of words from months or years ago to manufacture moral hysteria.

“This distortion is not only absurd – it is a transparent effort to derail the real conversation.”

Mrs Badenoch said Kneecap’s “anti-British hatred has no place in our society” and that 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 David Amess’s daughter, Katie Amess, told BBC’s Good Morning Ulster: “It is just beyond belief that human beings would speak like that in this day and age, and it is extremely dangerous.”

She said “to say to kill anybody – what on Earth are they thinking”, warning there are “absolute nutters” who could try to act upon the comments allegedly made by Kneecap.

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”.

Mrs Badenoch previously blocked a government grant to the bilingual Belfast group while she was business secretary.

But in November last year, Kneecap won a discrimination challenge over the decision to refuse them a £14,250 funding award after the UK government conceded it was “unlawful”.

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.

However, the Tory leader criticised the Labour Government’s approach towards the case prior to the emergence of the video.

Mrs Badenoch said during a phone-in on LBC: “I thought, well, that’s not what we should be exporting. I’m not giving them any money. And they took me to court, said they were going to sue me, sue the government for not giving them money to go and export.

“Now the government doesn’t owe anybody money. This is a nice thing that the Conservative government was doing, giving out grants.

“So the court case had been lodged, and in between the court and in between the court case starting and finishing, this snap election was called so I didn’t get to see it through.

“Labour come in and Johnny Reynolds, the new business and trade secretary, just gives them the money and says ‘we’re not fighting this court case,’ they’re going to have let them have the money. And I just thought ‘this is extraordinary.’ This is how money is wasted across the board in government.”

Speaking about Kneecap, she said: “But also, when you look at some of the people who were jailed for sending tweets after the Southport killings, and I’m not justifying what they said, but this is a much worse incident, and I think should face the full force of the law.”

Today’s News in 90 Seconds – April 29th

Investigation

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”.

The counter-terrorism internet referral unit (CTIRU) is a national counter-terrorism policing unit based within the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command which is dedicated to identifying terrorist and extremist material online.

Police will carry out an investigation if the material breaches the law.