Sir Keir Starmer has said it would be wrong for anti-Israel band Kneecap, whose frontman faces terrorism charges, to play at Glastonbury festival later this week.
Asked by the Sun on Sunday whether he thought the Irish nationalist hip-hop band should play at the iconic British music festival on Saturday, the prime minister said: “No I don’t.”
“I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won’t say too much, because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate”, he added.
Band member Mo Chara whose real name is Liam O’Hanna was released on unconditional bail last week after an initial hearing over a charge brought against him by counter-terror police.
He is accused of displaying an article in support of a proscribed organisation after he was allegedly filmed draped in a Hezbollah flag and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a gig in London last November.
O'Hanna’s defence counsel, Brenda Campbell KC, argued that the court did not have jurisdiction over the case and claimed that the charge was invalid as it was brought more than six months after the alleged offence, something which the prosecution contests.
Kneecap has previously denied that O'Hanna committed an offence, claiming that his prosecution is part of a “smear campaign” orchestrated by the “establishment”, intended to silence his activism.
He has been bailed and ordered to attend a second hearing on August 20 to discuss jurisdictional disputes.
Despite the controversy and the terrorism charges, Kneecap are still set to perform alongside mainstream acts like The 1975, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, Charli XCX, and Olivia Rodrigo.
