No10 rejects Kneecap's 'half-hearted' apology to families of Sir David Amess and Jo Cox after 'kill Tory MPs' remarks

29 April 2025, 15:39 | Updated: 29 April 2025, 15:43

No10 has rejected Belfast-based rap trio Kneecap's apology to the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox.

The apology came after controversy surrounding the Irish-language rap group's alleged remarks at a gig in November 2023, telling the crowd to "kill your local MP".

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

Downing Street criticised the band’s response, which claimed footage of the incident had been "exploited and weaponised".

In a statement posted on Instagram, the 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".

"Kneecap’s message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope," they said.

"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 said they have "never supported" Hamas or Hezbollah.

Read more: Kemi Badenoch demands prosecution of rap group Kneecap over 'dead Tory' claim amid trio's alleged 'pro-Hamas' statements

Read more: Kneecap could be pulled from major UK show after shouting 'pro-Hamas' chants at concert

Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism division is currently looking into the incident, as a growing number of politicians have called for the band's upcoming UK shows to be cancelled.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: "They should apologise. I think you have seen what they have said, I think it is half-hearted.

"We completely reject in the strongest possible terms the comments that they’ve made, particularly in relation to MPs and intimidation as well as obviously the situation in the Middle East.

"It’s right that the police are looking into these videos."

In the Commons, security minister Dan Jarvis said: "It’s not for Government ministers to say who is going to appear at Glastonbury, it’s for the organisers of the festival.

"But there is … an ongoing, live police investigation, so the Government would urge organisers of the Glastonbury Festival to think very carefully about who is invited to perform there later this year.|"

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

Katie Amess, the daughter of Conservative MP Sir David Amess who was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery in 2021, earlier criticised Kneecap's remarks.

Ms 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.”

Urging the group to apologise for their remarks, she raised concerns that "nutters" could act upon the alleged comments, asking "what on earth are they thinking".

'Force of the law'

On Monday evening, Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch told LBC the Irish rap group Kneecap should feel "the full force of the law" after one of its members called for concert attendees to "kill Tory MPs".

In controversial footage obtained in another video in November last year, band member Mo Chara can be heard shouting 'Up Hamas' and 'Up Hezbollah' during a gig at the O2 in Kentish Town.

The rapper appears to say to the crowd: "Free Palestine. Free the six counties. Tiocfaidh ár lá (Irish language for 'our day will come'). Up Hamas. Up Hezbollah."

The Conservative leader told Iain Dale that the hip hop trio should be prosecuted, adding she believes the group's "horrific lyrics promote violence".

'Incitement to violence'

Back in November, the group won a discrimination case against the UK government after Badenoch blocked an arts grant to them.

The band were awarded £14,250. The band said they would donate the money to two youth organisations in Belfast - one from a nationalist and one from a unionist area.

The Tory leader told Iain it was "extraordinary" that Labour had previously "let them have the money" she had been seeking to block the band from receiving while she was business secretary.

She added: "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 to let them have the money.

"And I just thought 'this is extraordinary.' This is how money is wasted across the board in government."

She then added: "Now, the band has been found to be promoting terrorism and also calling for Tory MPs specifically to be killed.

"This is a prosecutable offence, it's incitement to violence, incitement to murder.

She added: "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."

DUP leader Gavin Robinson labelled the trio as as "appalling and outrageous".

"From my perspective, these gentlemen don’t need to be on a stage, they need to be in a courtroom because it is a hate crime what they are doing and it should be considered as such," Mr Robinson said.

“This isn’t a political perspective just from us, when you can see that there’s a collective political will in London and Dublin calling out, not only the need for them to clarify or apologise."

In a statement posted following their Coachella performance, the group said: "Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people — we have faced a coordinated smear campaign.

"For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments' complicity in war crimes.

"The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts.

"Let us be absolutely clear.

"The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing.

"Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.

"We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are.

"What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes — and we will not stay silent.

"No media spin will change this. Our only concern is the Palestinian people — the 20,000 murdered children and counting.

"The young people at our gigs see through the lies. They stand on the side of humanity and justice. And that gives us great hope."