Rod Stewart branded ‘grotesque' amid support for Reform UK
In an interview with The Times, Sir Rod showed his support for Reform UK, sharing: 'I've read about (Sir Keir) Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn't made him popular.
'We're fed up with the Tories. We've got to give Farage a chance. He's coming across well. Nigel? What options have we got?
'Starmer's all about getting us out of Brexit and I don't know how he's going to do that. Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip.'
A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)
Sir Rod's comments come ahead of his Glastonbury Legends set on Sunday, June 29 and has sparked debate amongst his fans on social media.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one fan of Sir Rod wrote: 'To agree that Farage needs a chance is grotesque.'
Another comment on X read: 'Stupid thing to say' as a third wrote: 'Rod Stewart has come out for Farage? Oh mate.'
One more X user said they disagree with Sir Rod's comments but still respect the singer: 'No not giving Farage a chance, but respect what Rod Stewart has done and his career.'
A post shared by The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes)
In the interview with The Times, Sir Rod admitted that his wealth ensures 'a lot of it doesn't really touch me'.
Insisting that he is not out of touch, and expressed his support for Ukraine, criticising US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance for their treatment of Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky on his visit to the White House, and Gaza.
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'It's depressing, what's going on in the Gaza Strip,' he said. 'Netanyahu doesn't realise that this is what happened to his people under the Nazis: total annihilation. And Trump is going to turn the Gaza Strip into Miami?'
Stewart said a prolonged bout of flu, which forced him to cancel five shows in the US, nearly forced him to withdraw from a Glastonbury appearance he described to ITV as his 'World Cup final'.
He confirmed he will be joined at Glastonbury by former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall and Lulu, as well as performing the song Powderfinger by Saturday headliner Neil Young.
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Rhyl Journal
4 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Rod Stewart: From busking in the 1960s to starring at Glastonbury
The 80-year-old will appear at Worthy Farm in the Sunday tea time legends slot, where he is expected to reunite with Faces and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Faces drummer Kenney Jones also hinted to the PA news agency earlier this year that he may join the pair. Faces Beginning from the ashes of the disbanded Small Faces in 1969, Sir Rod and Wood joined up with the broken-up band's keyboard player Ian McLagen, drummer Jones and bass player and singer Ronnie Lane, when Small Faces singer and guitarist Steve Marriott formed Humble Pie. Their first two albums First Step (1970), which still carried the old Small Faces name in the US upon its release, and Long Player (1971) saw limited commercial success, but A Nod Is As Good As A Wink… To A Blind Horse, also released in 1971, sent them to number two in the UK albums chart. The single Stay With Me, taken from the band's third LP, peaked at number six in the UK charts and has gone on to become one of Sir Rod's best-known songs, regularly performed at his concerts. Fourth album Ooh La La (1973) saw lead single Cindy Incidentally reach number two on the UK singles chart, while standalone single Pool Hall Richard also reached the top 10 in the same year. It was followed up with the single You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything (Even Take The Dog For A Walk, Mend A Fuse, Fold Away The Ironing Board, Or Any Other Domestic Shortcomings), which reached number 12, but would be the last released by the band before they broke-up in 1975. Sir Rod's bandmates also backed him on his solo records released between 1969 and 1974, playing on his earliest number one singles Maggie May and You Wear It Well. Since their break-up, surviving original members Sir Rod, Wood and Jones have reunited to perform on a number of occasions, the most recent coming at the Brit Awards in 2020. The band are strongly rumoured to be releasing a new album next year. Sir Rod's career outside of the band Prior to joining the Faces, Sir Rod started out as a folk singer busking on the streets of London with Wizz Jones and went on to appear in a number of bands during the mid-1960s, before first coming to public attention as the singer in The Jeff Beck Group. The band, formed in 1967 after Beck left The Yardbirds, where he first played with Wood, released the albums Truth and Beck-Ola. While he was in the Faces, the singer sang guest vocals for the Australian group Python Lee Jackson on In A Broken Dream, initially released in 1970. Sir Rod released his first five solo albums while still a member of the Faces, continuing the rock and roll and folk sounds the band explored, before venturing into pop with 1975's Atlantic Crossing. The album featured top 10 singles Sailing and a cover of The Isley Brothers' This Old Heart Of Mine, with the former reaching number one in the UK singles chart. The singer has gone on to release 32 solo studio LPs, producing number ones such as Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?, Baby Jane and the double a-side of I Don't Want To Talk About It and The First Cut Is The Deepest. He most recently released the album Swing Fever with pianist and TV presenter Jools Holland last year, a collection of classic songs from the big band era such as Frankie And Johnny, Good Rockin' Tonight and Pennies From Heaven. What has Sir Rod been doing lately? Ahead of the release of Swing Fever, Sir Rod and Holland made a surprise appearance at St Pancras International station to perform at its piano, and is slated to embark on a tour of 'intimate' venues next year in support of the record. In a statement on Instagram, Sir Rod announced he would end 'large-scale world tours' after 2025, when his US tour ends on August 15 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St Louis, Missouri, but ruled out retiring any time soon. On January 10, Sir Rod celebrated his 80th birthday with wife Penny Lancaster, who he married in 2007, and their children. He was recently awarded the lifetime achievement award at the American Music Awards (AMAs), where he was presented with the award by five of his children. What will he play? With Wood and possibly Jones in tow, fans should expect some classic Faces hits such as Stay With Me, Cindy Incidentally and Pool Hall Richard, with the possibility of a few fan favourites such as Too Bad, That's All You Need and Three Button Hand Me Down. It is almost certain that mega hits such as Maggie May, You Wear It Well and Hot Legs will get an airing, however the Faces reunion may ensure Sir Rod sticks to his pre-1975 material. Previous Glastonbury performance Sir Rod previously performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2002, where he opened with his cover of Handbags And Gladrags, before going on to delve into the Faces catalogue with Ooh La La and Stay With Me, and perform covers of songs by the likes of Tom Waits, Van Morrison and Tim Hardin. He also played some of his biggest hits, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?, Baby Jane and Young Turks, before finishing with a singalong performance of Sailing.
Scotsman
10 minutes ago
- Scotsman
How Edinburgh helped decide Britain's relationship with Europe 50 years ago
Britain's vote to leave the European Union in 2016 - nine years ago this month - was a close-run thing and came as a shock whose repercussions are still being felt today. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... But it was a different story in the UK's first ever national referendum in 1975, when voters decisively backed British membership of what was then known as the European Economic Community (EEC) or Common Market. While the Brexit result - 52 per cent to 48 in favour of Leave - reflected a divided nation and forced the departure of Tory prime minister David Cameron, the vote 50 year ago was 67 per cent to 33 to stay in and represented a convincing victory for Labour's Harold Wilson. Prime Minister Harold Wilson goingto vote on referendum day 1975, accompanied by his wife Mary. Picture: Keystone/Getty Images. | Getty Images Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He had called the referendum, held on Thursday June 5, 1975, to allow the British people the say they had not been given when Ted Heath's Tory government took the country into the EEC without any ballot on January 1, 1973. Labour had made a manifesto pledge to renegotiate the UK's terms of membership and then hold a referendum to decide whether Britain remained in. It was also a way to deal with the internal tensions inside the Labour party, where there were passionate pro-Europeans as well as fierce critics of "the Market". There was much debate about the rights and wrongs of holding a referendum. Opponents called it "un-British", "a constitutional monstrosity" and incompatible with parliamentary government. But supporters pointed out referendums had been used in Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth and recalled that Ted Heath had promised he would take Britain into the EEC with "the full-hearted consent of the British people". The ballot paper in the 1975 referendum asked people to vote Yes or No to staying in the EEC | x Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Talks with Europe, led by Harold Wilson and Foreign Secretary James Callaghan, did not achieve the "fundamental renegotiation" they had wanted. But they did secure a partial refund of Britain's inflated financial contribution to the EEC. They were also helped by a change of leadership in both France and Germany, rising world food prices which closed the gap with those in Europe and support from Commonwealth countries for Britain staying in. The campaign saw politicians from different parties co-operating - with varying degrees of enthusiasm - on each side of the debate. There were two umbrella organisations - Britain in Europe running the Yes campaign and the National Referendum Campaign co-ordinating the No side. There was some debate among politicians on the issue of democracy and loss of sovereignty. But polls consistently found the topics which voters were interested in were food prices and jobs. Leading Labour anti-Marketeer Barbara Castle made a well-publicised shopping trip to Brussels to show prices were higher inside the Common Market. But in retaliation, the pro-EEC campaign sent one of their members to Norway - which had voted against joining - to prove that shopping was even more expensive outside. Barbara Castle and helpers display a variety of goods purchased in London and Brussels to support their claim that prices were higher inside the EEC. Picture: Keystone/Getty Images | Getty Images Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Evening News organised its own shopping expedition, running a competition to choose two shoppers and sending them to Amsterdam as guests of the Dutch Dairy Board. "I must admit I was quite shocked to see that most of their food in tins and packets with well-known brand names were twice or three times more expensive than in Scotland," said Mrs Ella Daniel, 31, from Cortorphine. "But their fruit and vegetables were about the same price or cheaper and much nicer and fresher looking, They also have a greater selection. Alcohol is also cheaper." Mrs Kathy Urquhart, 60, from Kingsknowe, said: "The Dutch also have a generally higher standard of living with bigger wages than here. But we were told they do pay a lot of income tax and have a lot of deductions for their various social benefits." Both women said despite the prices, they still planned to vote to stay in. 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"She was even invited to draw this advice to the attention of her family - the whole family would be voting according to the wishes of the boss. I am sure many workers will respond with some degree of sceptical indignation." Liberal David Steel in June 1975. He described Scottish anti-Marketeers as the "most narrow, inward-looking, xenophobic forces which Scotland could muster". | TSPL Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad David Steel, then Liberal chief whip, described Scotland's anti-Marketeers as the "most narrow, inward-looking, xenophobic forces which Scotland could muster". And he rejected claims that EEC membership would obstruct plans for devolution in Scotland and Wales. Malcolm Rifkind, Conservative MP for Edinburgh Pentlands, argued that if there was a Yes vote to stay in the EEC, Edinburgh should become the centre of administration for the European Regional Fund. In an open letter to constituents he said: "In our two years of membership there have already been major benefits in Edinburgh and the Lothian Region. More than £1,500,000 of grants and loans have been made available and the regional fund will ensure continuing benefits." But Leith Labour MP Ronald King Murray, who was the Lord Advocate, told a press conference he would be voting No because he was concerned about the loss of parliamentary power and because the principal aims of the founding treaty were economic rather than social or human. Newly-elected Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher with 'Keep Britain in Europe' campaigners the day before voting in the EEC P. Floyd/Daily Express/| Getty Images Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Yes campaign in favour of staying in the EEC had a lead in the opinion polls throughout the campaign. The leaders of the three main parties all wanted a Yes vote - including Maragret Thatcher, who had taken over as Tory leader just a few months earlier. But Scotland was the part of the UK where seemed to be most chance of a No vote. The SNP argued for leaving, though its slogan opposed membership "on anyone else's terms" and at least some leading figures would have supported separate Scottish membership. There had been a big debate about whether there should be one national count in London of all the votes from across the UK. Some feared problems if it was clear that Scotland or Wales had reached a different conclusion from the rest of the country. Winnie Ewing and the SNP campaigned against Britain staying in the Common Market. | TSPL But in the end, the counts were held at county level in England and regional level in Scotland and all parts of the UK voted Yes, except for Shetland and the Western Isles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All the counts were held the next morning. The Lothian count took place at the Meadowbank sports centre and revealed a 59.5 per cent vote for staying in - 208,133 votes for Yes to 141,456 for No. That was slightly above the Scottish average Yes vote of 58.4 per cent, but well behind the Borders, the most enthusiastic Scottish region for Yes with 72.3 per cent. The Evening News carried the result of the referendum just hours after the counting of votes finished on 6 June 1975. | TSPL An academic study of the referendum published six months afterwards concluded that the Yes vote to stay in was "unequivocal but also unenthusiastic". "Support for membership was wide, but it did not run deep. The referendum was not a vote cast for new departures initiatives, it was a vote for the status quo." When parliament met after the referendum, an MP asked Harold Wilson for an assurance he would not repeat this 'constitutional experiment'. Wilson replied: 'I can certainly give the Right Honourable Member the assurance he seeks.' But 40 years later, another prime minister took a different view and got a very different result.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Kneecap lead anti-Starmer chant during politically charged Glastonbury set
Kneecap began a politically charged set at Glastonbury on Saturday afternoon, leading the crowds in chants of 'Fuck Keir Starmer!' The Irish rap act took to the stage at 4pm for their controversial set, which had been criticised by the UK prime minister as not 'appropriate'. The PM's comment came after band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence for holding a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last November. 'We understand colonialism and we understand how important it is to support each other internationally,' said Ó hAnnaidh on the band's support for the people of Gaza who have suffered at the hands of Israel's military and through a lack of aid deliveries. Later on Saturday, an Avon and Somerset police spokesperson said the force was assessing comments made by Kneecap during their set. They told the Guardian: 'We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury festival this afternoon. 'Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.' During the Kneecap performance, a sea of at least 200 Palestinian flags made it difficult for cameras to get a clear shot of the stage from inside the crowd. 'The BBC editor is going to have some job,' Chara joked, referring to the flags. Earlier the broadcaster confirmed it would not be able to support a live stream of the performance. The broadcaster has not yet confirmed when the footage will be available on iPlayer. Users of the Glastonbury app received a push notification almost an hour before the band were due to perform saying the West Holts stage was closed. However, spectators were still getting in 20 minutes before the start of the set. The show opened with clips of news and various TV discussion shows, with politicians and commentators saying the group should be banned and had been 'avoiding justice for far too long'. There was booing from the crowd for Sharon Osborne calling them a 'pathetic band'. 'Glastonbury I'm a free man!' shouted Ó hAnnaidh, to wild cheers from the crowd. 'If anybody falls down, you've got to pick them up. We've got to keep each other safe,' he added. The group, who rap in English and Irish, performed an energetic set including Your Sniffer Dogs Are Shite, Get Your Brits Out and Fine Art in front of a backdrop which said 'Free Palestine', occasionally varying with other phrases including 'Fuck Badenoch', referring to the leader of the Tory party. The crowds chanted: 'Free Mo Chara, free free Mo Chara!' 'Mo Chara's back in court for a trumped up terrorism charge,' said Móglaí Bap, also known as Naoise Ó Cairealláin. 'It's not the first time there's a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British criminal justice system,' he said. Ó hAnnaidh cut a defiant figure, saying his plight in the courts was nothing compared to the suffering of the Palestinian people. The band urged people to come out to support Ó hAnnaidh at his next court date at Westminster magistrates court. 'I want to say a big thank you to the Eavis family [organisers of Glastonbury],' Ó hAnnaidh added, for 'holding strong' in the face of criticism. Asked on Wednesday about the controversy, organiser Emily Eavis said: 'There have been a lot of really heated topics this year, but we remain a platform for many, many artists from all over the world and, you know, everyone is welcome here.' On numerous occasions, the trio chanted 'Fuck Keir Starmer!', with the crowd passionately shouting back. They also had the crowds chanting the Irish republican slogan, 'tiocfaidh ár lá', which translates as 'our day will come'. The band laughed with the crowd asking: 'Is anyone going to see Rod Stewart tomorrow?' The 80-year-old rocker was criticised ahead of his Pyramid stage performance after saying he thought the public should give Nigel Farage 'a chance'. Describing him as Rod the Prod, Ó hAnnaidh said: 'I mean, the man's older than Israel.' Paloma Faith, the musician and public speaker, was in the crowd for Kneecap's performance. She told the Guardian: 'A lot of people are now being demonised because there's such a fear of terrorism. And I understand that fear but I don't think that Kneecap have anything to do with that. They're all about the soul and the heart of freedom of people. 'I don't know anyone who likes to see children being killed on such a huge scale for any reason and I think [Kneecap] stand by that. Obviously they come from the perspective of a marginalised community at the hands of British colonialism.' She said artists who speak out on human rights issues were worried about being misquoted by the press or having their words taken out of context at a time when peaceful activists are coming under increasing attack from governments. She added: 'Everyone's a bit scared now. People are going to jail for stuff that isn't what we perceive as violent. It's scary times.' It comes after the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said on Monday that the pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action would be proscribed under anti-terror laws. If approved in parliament in a vote next week, this would make membership and support of the group illegal and punishable with a prison sentence under anti-terror laws. On stage, Kneecap reiterated their support for the group and band member JJ Ó Dochartaigh, known as DJ Próvaí, wore a Palestine Action T-shirt, underneath a red boiler suit associated with the group as he surfed the crowd.
