Cancel victim former MP slams Jewish comic's 'unlawful' fringe ban over Israel views
Former SNP MP Joanna Cherry backed Philip Simon, who had planned to perform his stand-up show Shall I Compare Thee in a Funny Way at the capital's Banshee Labyrinth.
But the comic announced in an online post that the venue has informed him it cancelled his show as his views on the crisis in Gaza 'are in significant conflict' with its 'stance against the current Israeli government's policy and actions'.
It comes just days after another venue, Whistlebinkies, axed his Jew-O-Rama compilation show and another performance by fellow Jewish comedian Rachel Creeger due to concerns over 'staff safety'.
Writing on social media website X, KC Joanna Cherry, a former SNP MP, said: 'It's not ok for Fringe venues to cancel bookings for Jewish comedians because their staff allegedly feel 'unsafe'.
'Racial and belief discrimination is unlawful.'
In 2023, the outspoken former MP's event at The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh was initially cancelled after staff claimed they were not comfortable with her stance on transgender issues.
She said she had been dropped for 'being a lesbian with gender-critical views'.
The club, owned by former SNP MP Tommy Sheppard, backed down and reinstated her show after Ms Cherry began legal action over its 'unlawful and discriminatory' decision.
The Stand said it 'accept that the previous decision that the event could not go ahead was unfair and constituted unlawful discrimination against Ms Cherry'.
Yesterday Ms Cherry posted a link to the legal opinion which she said 'helped me fight my own cancellation two years ago'.
Ms Cherry and the Banshee Labyrinth were contacted for comment.
Earlier this week, Mr Simon said: 'Anyone who knows me will know I have never expressed support for anything other than freeing the hostages and finding a way for peace.
'It is sad to think that these views could conflict with anyone who wants to see a lasting peace in Gaza and Israel.
'As a Jewish person living in Britain it is possible, and increasingly common, to have a love for Israel without supporting the actions of the government.'
He added he was 'still processing the concept that in 2025 I can be cancelled just for being Jewish'.
The stand-up comic says he will still be at the festival for his one remaining children's show and is continuing to seek alternative venues for both his cancelled gigs.
And he urged any comics considering snubbing the venues 'not to do anything to jeopardise your own shows'.
He said: 'If you are going to Edinburgh....please do not boycott these venues, they are hosting some incredible acts who I wouldn't want to suffer negatively because of this.'
In a message to Mr Simon, the Banshee Labyrinth is reported to have said it felt it was 'inappropriate for us to provide a platform for performers whose views and actions align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations.'
The venue told The Telegraph newspaper that it made its decision after scouring Mr Simon's social media pages.
The alleged concerns identified by the Banshee Labyrinth are reported to include Mr Simon sharing pictures from a vigil commemorating 100 days since the attack on Israel.
The Edinburgh Festival Fridge Society said it 'stands for freedom of expression' but that it does not 'manage or programme venues at the festival'.
A spokesman added: 'We understand that the show cancellations have been a choice made by the venue.'
The Banshee Labyrinth said it 'routinely screens bands and performers for affiliations to, and statements that advocate for, discriminatory groups, and our band bookings are caveated by a statement that any acts displaying rhetoric or symbology associated with discriminatory groups will be pulled with immediate effect'.
This 'applies to all performers, all year'.
It said: 'We have hosted Philip in previous years, and only thought we should have a look at his pages to see what was going on because of what happened with the neighbouring venue.
'If we hadn't found anything of concern, he would obviously still be performing with us.'
A spokesman for the venue said: 'Due to the recent controversy [Philip's show being pulled from our neighbouring pub], our management had a duty of care to our customers and staff members to review the political statements and opinions expressed by the performer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Leader Live
Anger as far-right Israeli minister prays at flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem
With Israel already facing global criticism over famine-like conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip, the visit by Itamar Ben-Gvir to the hillside compound threatened to further set back efforts by international mediators to halt Israel's nearly two-year military offensive in the territory. The area, which Jews call the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism and was home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims call the site the Noble Sanctuary, and today it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Visits are considered a provocation across the Muslim world and openly praying violates a longstanding status quo at the site. Under the status quo, Jews have been allowed to tour the site but are barred from praying, with Israeli police and troops providing security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said after Mr Ben-Gvir's visit that Israel would not change the norms governing the holy site. Mr Ben-Gvir made the stop after Hamas released videos showing two emaciated Israeli hostages. The videos caused in uproar in Israel and raised pressure on the government to reach a deal to bring home from Gaza the remaining hostages who were captured on October 7 2023, in the attack that triggered the war. During his visit to the hilltop compound, Mr Ben-Gvir called for Israel to annex the Gaza Strip and encourage Palestinians to leave, reviving rhetoric that has complicated negotiations to end the war. He condemned the video that Hamas released on Saturday of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David, showing him looking skeletal and hollow-eyed in a dimly lit Gaza tunnel. The minister called it an attempt to pressure Israel. Mr Ben-Gvir's previous visits to the site have been explosive and prompted threats from Palestinian militant groups. Clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian demonstrators in and around the site fuelled an 11-day war with Hamas in 2021. His Sunday visit was swiftly condemned as an incitement by Palestinian leaders as well as Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Sufian Qudah, spokesman for the foreign ministry in neighboring Jordan, which serves as the custodian of the Al Aqsa Mosque, condemned what he called 'provocative incursions by the extremist minister' and implored Israel to prevent escalation.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Gradius Origins review - shooting the core in Salamander 3
Konami and M2 present a new compilation of classic Gradius titles, which also includes a brand new sequel for one of the best 2D shooter series of the 80s and 90s. For the longest time it seemed as if Konami had given up being a traditional video game publisher, after they pushed out Hideo Kojima and essentially stopped making new titles. The company isn't in trouble, it's just that it makes plenty of money through its casinos, health clubs, and other media, such that the risks of the current video games industry probably don't seem worth the while. However, a decision must've been made a few years ago to start engaging once again, with cautious attempts to bring back everything from Contra to Survival Kids, with remakes and remasters ranging from Metal Gear Solid to Ninja Five-O. Some of their choices seem very strange (why so many new Silent Hill games but only a few remaster collections for Castlevania?) but it's great that they are starting to make an effort again. We didn't expect Gradius to be a priority but given our love for 2D shooters we're very glad to see it get its turn in the spotlight. Especially as this compilation focuses on sister series Salamander – which is our particular favourite – and brings with it an entirely new sequel that's been created by emulation masters M2. The release of a new retro compilation is always a double-edged sword, as it's always guaranteed to come with at least one of two problems, and usually both. Either it misses out lots of notable entries in the franchise, for no obvious reason, or it doesn't include any museum content to explain what the games are and where they sit in a historical context. We're happy to say that Gradius Origins does have some very nice production and concept art for most of the games, showing the initial concepts for the iconic Vic Viper spacecraft and early designs for levels and enemies. Unfortunately though, there's little in the way of descriptions (or, god forbid, a documentary) to help anyone that's not already a fan understand what any of it is or the amount of effort M2 has gone to. Gradius was by no means the first horizontally scrolling 2D shooter but the original entry from 1985 set a new standard for the genre, that has been followed ever since, including by the likes of Darius and R-Type. It coined the term 'shoot the core', in reference to the first mini-boss, and pioneered an unusually versatile power-up system, where you collect tokens as you fight and use them as and when you need to activate specific abilities, from faster speed to missiles or lasers. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. You can also pick a set menu of power-ups before you start the game, that you're still able to activate in any order, allowing for a great deal of strategy and flexibility. Each game has a different approach to the same idea but there's only actually three Gradius games in this compilation: the original (aka Nemesis), 1988's Gradius 2 (aka Vulcan Venture), and 1989's Gradius 3. The other four games are all Salamander titles, a spin-off series that begin in 1986, when it was known as Life Force in the US, and until now has only had one mainline sequel, in 1996's Salamander 2. Although the games work in the same basic way as Gradius they're quite distinct, in that they include both horizontal and vertical levels and feature co-op play. Each of the Salamander games also emphasises biological enemies and levels, such that we've always imagined that you're battling vast Lovecraftian monsters in the outer dark. Salamander has a more traditional power-up system than Gradius, but it's more generous when you die, as you restart exactly where you left off and you can pick up the power-ups you just lost. Although just to complicate things, there is the 1987 version of Salamander, which was essentially a director's cut and which was named Life Force even in Japan. It's the only entry to feature a Gradius style power-up system, which is an interesting novelty and one of the highlights of this collection. That version of the game is included as a separate title, but all the other games have multiple versions, including Japanese and international editions, post-launch updates, and even previously unreleased prototype versions. At least one of these, the one for Gradius 3, M2 has recreated from lost assets, including a giant dragon boss that wasn't in any of the official versions. However, these are all only the original arcade versions and there are no console games at all, not even the NES version, which was famously the first ever to feature the Konami code. You do get a modern version of that though, in an impressive array of difficulty modifiers, including save states you can activate at any time, a rewind feature, and an invincible and easy mode for all but Salamander 3. There's also a separate training mode that lets you automatically rewind to practice difficult sections. This is on top of a mountain of additional options that allow you to change how many lives you start with and modify the difficulty – up and down – in excruciatingly minute detail. You can even turn on and off bug fixes, including slowdown that the original arcade hardware was prone to. That's just what you'd expect from developer M2, whose involvement immediately eliminates any question as to the quality of the emulation. They don't often make brand new games, but Salamander 3 makes you wish they did. It limits itself to the technology of what looks like the mid-90s, so it's not a major step beyond any of the other games. In fact, it's arguably less advanced than Salamander 2, which has a lot of pre-rendered graphics (which have aged surprisingly well). Salamander 3 is tightly designed, with a very fast pace to the action, and while there are some stages that are obvious nods to existing ones there are a lot of neat ideas, like the vertical stage where you're shooting your way through asteroids and unearthing buried moai, or one where you're getting pulled in by the gravity of mini-planetoids. Despite the pixel-only graphics, Salamander 3 does take advantage of the increased power of modern consoles, in terms of the amount of enemies on screen at once. It's not quite a bullet hell shooter but it comes close, especially as your own ship has a limited use burst weapon which spews dozens of bullets at 360°. Even the music is good, with some neat chiptune tracks by chibi-tech. As Salamander fans (that sounds weird, but we never liked the name Life Force) this compilation is an unexpected gift but in terms of the core Gradius series there's a lot missing. Even if you accept that it's only arcade versions – which rules out Treasure's excellent Gradius 5, PS1 game Gradius Gaiden, two MSX exclusive titles, and several portable titles – there's no Gradius 4, which was an arcade game. More Trending WiiWare title Gradius ReBirth is also absent, despite it also being developed by M2 and currently being unavailable on any format, so we can only hope that there is at least one more compilation after this. Whether Konami feels Gradius deserves that kind of attention we're not sure but while we accept the 2D shooter genre is a niche one these are all great games, that were highly influential at the time of their original release. But if this is it then we're perfectly satisfied; Salamander 3 is an excellent retro sequel and while we'd love to see a big budget adaptation of the series, with modern gameplay and graphics, that's almost certainly not going to happen. But perhaps that's just as well, as when we interviewed producer Ryosaku Ueno we were impressed by his answer about that possibility, where he compared 2D shooters to classical music, and how it would be absurd to expect it to transition into modern pop songs. We'd still like to see some evolution of the concept but if retro gaming really is akin to classical music, then Gradius and Salamander are the Brandenburg Concertos of the 2D shooter genre. In Short: A loving tribute to Gradius and its spin-off series, with some of M2's best archaeological work and an excellent retro sequel in Salamander 3. Pros: Arcade perfect conversions, with an insane level of customisation options and difficultly aids. Salamander 3 is excellent and the previously unseen prototype versions are an unexpected bonus. Cons: The lack of explanation and context for the museum content is a shame. A lot of missing games from the series. Score: 9/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £34.99Publisher: KonamiDeveloper: M2 (originals by Konami)Release Date: 7th August 2025 Age Rating: 7 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Why is Sony trying to kill the concept of the video game console? – Reader's Feature MORE: GTA Online will add age verification to comply with UK laws claims insider MORE: Battlefield 6 'doesn't need Nicki Minaj' says dev in knock against Call Of Duty
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Storm Floris forces Edinburgh Fringe to cancel events amid amber weather warning
Edinburgh Fringe Festival has been forced to cancel several different events due to the high winds expected from Storm Floris tomorrow. Several Edinburgh Fringe Festival events have been cancelled as Storm Floris is set to sweep across Scotland tomorrow, bringing winds of up to 90mph. In response to the severe weather, the Met Office has issued two warnings for Scotland, including a serious amber alert covering all areas north of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The warning is in effect from 10am to 10pm on Monday and warns of risk of disruption and dangerous conditions. Fringe-goers are being warned to prepare for potential cancellations, especially for outdoor performances. Fringe by the Sea, held in the coastal town of North Berwick, has already called off several events as strong winds are expected to bring water onto the land. Meanwhile, the Ceilidh Session, which is part of the Edinburgh International Festival have also been cancelled after Edinburgh Council announced the closure of Princes Street Gardens due to safety concerns. A statement released by a spokesperson for the Edinburgh Fringe, stated: "There is an amber weather warning in place for Edinburgh from 10:00-22:00 on Mon 04 Aug. Should a show be cancelled our Customer Services team will be in touch with customers who have purchased tickets. The statement continued: "This is an evolving storm, and we will update advice and guidance throughout the day tomorrow." Although some attempting to visit Edinburgh for the Fringe might find it difficult to get there as ScotRail has announced they will stop various services because of the "extremely intense" weather. Storm Floris is expected to be an unusually disruptive summer storm, bringing powerful winds and periods of heavy rain to Scotland on Monday, as well as posing a "danger to life" according to weather experts. The high winds are expected to bring large waves and launch debris, which could end up causing injuries. Additionally, the powerful winds could cause significant damage to buildings and rooftops, and transport authorities may be forced to shut down roads and bridges for safety. There's also a risk of power outages, potentially leaving some homes and businesses without electricity if the storm disrupts the supply. A Met Office spokesperson stated: "Storm Floris will bring a spell of unusually strong west or northwesterly winds to much of Scotland during Monday. Gusts of 50 to 70 mph are expected for many parts, and are likely to reach 80 to 90 mph on some exposed coasts, hills and bridges." 'Western coastal areas will see the highest gusts between late morning and early afternoon, the strongest winds then transferring to northeastern Scotland by late afternoon and early evening," they continued. 'Driving in these conditions can be dangerous, for yourself and other road users. If you must drive, you can do this more safely by taking the following actions drive slowly to minimise the impact of wind gusts, be aware of high sided vehicles/caravans on more exposed roads and be cautious when overtaking, and give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries, and buses more room than usual." 'Being outside in high winds makes you more vulnerable to injury," they added. The Met Office urged: "Stay indoors as much as possible. If you do go out, try not to walk, or shelter, close to buildings and trees. In advance of high winds, check for loose items outside your home and secure them. Items include; bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
