Leo Varadkar slams Keir Starmer over Kneecap comments
Leo Varadkar has hit out at Keir Starmer, admitting he initially thought the British Prime Minister's calls for Kneecap to be pulled from Glastonbury were a 'gag.'
The Belfast rap trio are set to play the West Host Stage on Saturday at 4pm, with the BBC broadcasting the festival for those who can't make it.
Last week, Kemi Badenoch called on the BBC not to stream the band's set, while PM Starmer has since called on the band to be completely pulled from the line-up. Leo Varadkar has hit out at Keir Starmer, admitting he initially taught the British Prime Minister's calls for Kneecap to be pulled from Glastonbury was a 'gag.' Pic: Niall Carson/PA Archive/PA Images
Speaking to The Sun, Starmer said it isn't 'appropriate' for the band to play amid an ongoing court case.
It comes after Kneecap's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in a London court on a terrorism charge last week after he is alleged to have displayed a Hezbollah flag during a live performance in the UK in November, 2024.
The 27-year-old was granted unconditional bail and is set to appear in court again on August 20, when legal arguments will be addressed. View this post on Instagram
A post shared by KNEECAP (@kneecap32)
On Sunday, the band shared a clip of The Sun article where Starmer called on the band to be axed from Glastonbury, responding: 'You know what's 'not appropriate' Kier?
'Arming a f****ng genocide…'
The post was flooded with comments of agreement with singer Paloma Faith and musician Example both showing their support for Kneecap.
Former Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Leo also weighed in on the British PM's comments, stating that he initially thought they were 'a gag'.
Varadkar said: 'No longer hold office nor have any mandate so my views don't count for so much anymore. I get that.
'But I really thought this was some sort of gag. It's the role of artists to be avant-garde, inappropriate, challenging, disruptive — from James Joyce to Sex Pistols and Playboy.
'Politicians should really not try to censor this. If an offence was committed, let the courts decide. In the meantime, the rule of the law says the accused is innocent until proven guilty.'
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