Glasgow politicians question Kneecap TRNSMT axe
Glasgow politicians have questioned the decision to axe Irish language rappers Kneecap from TRNSMT.
The Belfast trio announced they have been removed from the music festival in Glasgow over police concerns about safety on Wednesday.
It led to them revealing a replacement gig 'to try to make up for it' at the O2 Academy in July, which has seen a pre sale sell out in 80 seconds.
Glasgow Greens co-leader Jon Molyneux has questioned Police Scotland's position on TRNSMT and pointed out they routinely manage 'major events.'
He said: 'The police position on this is deeply questionable. We are talking about one band, playing for around 45 minutes, in six weeks' time, in a secure, ticketed, bag-searched environment. It stretches credibility to claim that this presents an insurmountable operational problem when the police routinely manage major events and demonstrations in the city.
'In all of this one thing matters more than anything and that's that Kneecap isn't the story. The genocide and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is the story and we all have a duty to speak out on that.'
Glasgow Cathcart SNP MSP James Dornan said: 'I'm truly concerned by the police statement that Kneecap should not play at TRNSMT because they can't guarantee their safety. Who exactly is threatening them? Israel? Supporters of genocide? Anti Irish protesters? Who exactly? This is an extremely worrying decision.'
Controversy over the gig had been growing with First Minister John Swinney calling for the performers to be dropped from the line-up. Glasgow SNP and Scottish Greens councillors were not in favour of the group being axed from TRNSMT.
The artists attracted criticism after footage emerged from 2023 appearing to show one of them saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.'
A member of the group has also been charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig.
TRNSMT promoters DF Concerts said Kneecap would not perform on July 11 due to concerns expressed by the police about safety.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Any decision on the line up at TRNSMT is for the organisers and there was no prior consultation with Police Scotland before acts were booked.
'Officers have highlighted the potential reaction of such a large audience to this band would require a significant policing operation in order to support the delivery of a safe event.
'We have also passed on information from the public around safety concerns to allow organisers to make an informed decision on the running of the festival.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
35 minutes ago
- BBC News
Parties jockey for power in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election
The famous Hamilton Park Racecourse lies on the edge of town, just beyond the boundary of the Holyrood constituency where voters are set to elect a new presence is a useful reminder that few places in Scotland are as familiar with runners and riders, favourites and current political race in this former coal mining heartland of west central Scotland will decide who represents Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse in the Scottish Parliament following the death of the SNP's Christina also has wider is the largest test of voter opinion in Scotland since the UK general election in which Labour heavily defeated the is also the first real opportunity to see if Reform UK's recent successes in England can give them what they call a "tartan bounce".The outcome will help shape the political narrative in Scotland ahead of the national Holyrood election next May. While Hamilton has its place in the history of horse racing, it has also earned iconic status when it comes to jockeying for political was here that Winnie Ewing made her stunning by-election breakthrough for the SNP in was this town that gave the former NATO secretary general Lord Robertson his start at Westminster in was the people of Hamilton South who elected Labour's Tom McCabe as the first MSP in around what is now the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency, you would be forgiven for thinking the 2025 contest was a two horse race between the SNP and Reform only because these are the parties dominating billboard observation takes no account of the intensive door knocking, direct mailing and social media campaigning that's been going on for weeks. The SNP leader John Swinney has certainly acknowledged a third, red rosette-wearing horse in this sense is that his comment came as something of a relief to Scottish Labour, who came second last time and expect to be regarded as the principal challenger to the SNP, who are defending the could certainly do with a win swept to power at Westminster last summer, Sir Keir Starmer's party quickly lost popularity with decisions like cutting winter fuel payments for though changes to that policy have been promised, they will come too late for this by-election. The damage to Scottish Labour seems to have been SNP tends to have a double digit lead over Labour in national opinion polls, with support for pro-UK parties heavily fragmented since the rise of means that with around a third of the vote, the SNP can still be winners because Reform UK is principally drawing support away from the Conservatives and arithmetic already takes into account a series of SNP controversies over independence strategy, gender self-identification, a police investigation into party finances, leadership changes and the collapse of a power-sharing deal with the Greens. These are challenging conditions for Scottish Labour to regain power at Holyrood after nearly two decades in the is the national picture suggested by a relatively limited number of opinion polls. This election is for a single constituency for which no formal polling has been other words, there is plenty of room for surprise, especially if voters stay at home and turnout is the start of this by-election campaign, a Labour source told me they would have a chance if the focus was on the SNP's record in government - on issues like long waits for NHS same source said that if the vote became a referendum on Labour's first months in power at Westminster they would be in big insiders now say they have identified enough potential support to win in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse if (and it could be a big if) they can mobilise voters to turn contrast, SNP campaigners say they are "ahead" while acknowledging that the buzz around Reform UK following their successes in English local and mayoral elections throws in an "unknown" is a contest that nobody wanted and there appears to be little enthusiasm for the political choice on offer.A senior figure in the SNP told me they had found voters angry with Labour but far from impressed with the SNP. Many of the locals who stopped to chat with me in the centre of Hamilton were thoroughly fed up with politicians of all O'Donohue seemed to speak for many when she said: "I think they're all as bad as each other."Des McDonagh, who has voted SNP in the past and tried Labour in 2024, said he was now "totally dismayed with the options available".Nicole Copland accused politicians of making "false promises" to reduce the cost of living and said that when she votes "things don't really change".Rising household bills, access to healthcare, taxes on small businesses and revitalising town centres are all issues that have come up in this public frustration with established parties is palpable and this is where Reform UK has spotted an have no track record of election, never mind government, at any level in Scotland. Their key figures are councillors who have defected from the Scottish party is now targeting Labour voters with their UK leader Nigel Farage arguing for the threshold at which working people begin paying tax to be raised to £20, wants tighter controls on immigration and the asylum system to help pay for this change. Across parties in Scotland, there is an acknowledgement that immigration is being raised by voters more than in the is a policy area controlled by Westminster rather than Holyrood but that does not prevent this campaign, Reform UK has claimed that the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would "prioritise the Pakistani community".That is the interpretation Reform has placed on a speech Mr Sarwar gave in 2022 at an event celebrating 75 years of Pakistan's independence - despite him not actually using those words in the clips they have chosen to promote on social have been accused of racism by the SNP, Labour and the Greens, with the Liberal Democrats attacking Reform UK for "scummy tactics".The Conservatives under the leadership of Russell Findlay have largely kept out of the doubling down on this claim Nigel Farage attracted fresh ire from Holyrood politicians, amplifying what appears to be an attempt to motivate voters for whom immigration is a concern.I saw examples of support for Reform in this constituency and also heard voters express disgust at the party's minimum ambition here is to finish third and push the Conservatives into fourth place - a potential outcome for which the Scottish Tories appear to be braced. Pundits, pollsters and political journalists will analyse the results carefully for insights into voter behaviour with less than a year until every Holyrood seat comes up for the SNP hold on, that would compound the sense that although the party is far less popular than it has been, John Swinney could still be first minister after next year's Holyrood Labour take the seat, that would confound those who have come to believe that Anas Sarwar and his team will struggle to build sufficient support to be competitive in that other than an SNP or Labour win in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse would be a huge political doesn't mean that whatever happens in this by-election will be replicated in the national election. They are not the same thing and voting patterns vary across the the Hamilton area, candidates and boundaries change over time but this corner of Scotland's post-industrial centre is a consistent source of political remains the case as voters prepare for their next moment in the political spotlight. Who is standing in the by-election? There are a total of 10 candidates contesting this by-election on Thursday 5 are:Collette Bradley - Scottish Socialist PartyAndy Brady - Scottish Family PartyRoss Lambie - ReformKaty Loudon - SNPJanice Mackay - UK Independence PartyAnn McGuinness - GreensAisha Mir - Liberal DemocratRichard Nelson - ConservativeDavy Russell - LabourMarc Wilkinson - Independent
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Scottish Government chiefs' verdict after Nicola Sturgeon forced to hand over memoir
Documents reveal four copies of 'Frankly' were handed over and will be 'securely held' NIC ALL-WRITE Scottish Government chiefs' verdict after Nicola Sturgeon forced to hand over memoir CIVIL servants spent a month poring over Nicola Sturgeon's memoir for potentially reputation-damaging stories. The ex-SNP leader's book was submitted to the Scottish Government under vetting rules requiring ex-ministers not to write negatively about officials. 1 'Frankly' will hit the shelves on August 14 Credit: INSTAGRAM Documents reveal four copies of 'Frankly' were handed over and will be 'securely held' to avoid leaks before its August 14 release. A senior team including a top aide overseeing ethics reviewed the manuscript in April before signing it off that month. Records also show former First Minister Ms Sturgeon tried to ensure it was kept under wraps. She told the Government: 'I'd be grateful for an indication of what the circulation will be within SG and what steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality.' Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'The public will hope this forensic poring over of Nicola Sturgeon's memoir did not divert from crucial work — or this editing did not dilute it down from being as frank as she claims.' Ministers declined to comment. Ms Sturgeon's spokeswoman said she was 'looking forward' to her autobiography's launch. We told previously the ex-FM has pocketed another £76,500 for her upcoming book through her personal company, Holyrood records show. Sturgeon declared the second of four payments to the Scottish Parliament. Her register of interests states: "On 21 March 2025 my company NICOLA STURGEON LIMITED received a payment of £76,500 made via my literary agent, DHA. This represents the second of four instalments of a book advance from Pan Macmillan of £75,000 (plus VAT and minus agent commission)." She has promised her book will be open and honest about her time as First Minister and her fall-out with her former ally, Alex Salmond.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
John Swinney reveals guilt about becoming First Minister due to wife's illness
The FM says he may not have stood for top job if it had come weeks earlier DILEMMA ADMISSION John Swinney reveals guilt about becoming First Minister due to wife's illness JOHN Swinney has told of his guilt about becoming First Minister — because of his wife's multiple sclerosis. The SNP leader revealed he 'wrestled' over the opportunity after spouse Elizabeth Quigley's condition deteriorated. Advertisement 3 First Minister John Swinnney meets voters while campaigning ahead of this week's Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election Credit: GETTY IMAGES 3 Mr Swinney and wife Michelle have been married for 22 years. Credit: ANDREW MILLIGAN / PA WIRE 3 Mr and Mrs Sweeney posed with son Matthew, 14, after he was sworn in as First Minister And if the chance of the role had come a few weeks earlier, Elizabeth admitted he would likely have turned it down as she was so ill she struggled to even speak and to swallow. Asked if he felt guilty, Mr Swinney, 61, replied: 'Yes, very much so. 'I had the classic dilemma of a collision of my personal life and my political life. 'I was wrestling with whether I could contemplate it, given the fragility of the situation at home with Elizabeth's health at that time.' Advertisement He added: 'A month before that moment, Elizabeth had not been too well at all. "Although she was slowly getting stronger, I would have had to be at home a lot, because that period had been so tough.' BBC Scotland journalist Elizabeth, 53, had been battled a flare-up of her MS, a degenerative illness that causes nerve damage and unpredictable bouts of pain. After then First Minister Humza Yousaf announced his intention to resign in April last year, party colleagues urged Mr Swinney to stand. Advertisement He said: 'Two things were going on in that period. Moment John Swinney is heckled by Reform UK campaigners as FM breezes past warring activists heads of Hamilton by-election 'One, I was talking to Kate Forbes about how we could try to heal the SNP. "But secondly, and in parallel to that, I was trying to work out, is this actually doable?' Wife of 22 years Elizabeth told The Sunday Times: 'A month earlier it would have been different, when I had difficulty speaking and things were really not going well. Advertisement 'Then I think John would have said no. "You might think he's running the country. "Well, he is, but he's also making green soup for me.'
