KNEECAP win High Court discrimination case against UK government

KNEECAP have won their discrimination case against former UK Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch.

A Belfast court ruled that the British government acted illegally in withholding £14,250 (€17,125) in Arts Funding from the Irish-language rap trio.

The group applied for a grant from the music export growth scheme in 2023, an independent government-backed arts initiative providing funding to promote artists overseas.

Following the approval of the application by the British Phonographic Industry, the funding was rescinded by the then Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch. A government spokesperson insisted that it did not want to give taxpayers’ money to “people that oppose the United Kingdom itself.”

The group was awarded £14,250 - the same amount they were initially granted.

In a statement, the band said Badenoch, who is now the leader of the Conservative Party, and her department had "tried to silence us and they have failed."

 

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They added that they would now donate the award to two youth organisations in Belfast, Glór na Móna, which promotes Irish language activities and culture, and R-City Belfast, which offers personal and social development for young people.

“For us,” KNEECAP said, “this action was never about £14,250, it could have been 50 pence. The motivation was equality. This was an attack on artistic culture, an attack on the Good Friday Agreement itself, and an attack on KNEECAP and our way of expressing ourselves.”

They continued: “They don’t like that we oppose British rule, that we don’t believe that England serves anyone in Ireland and the working classes on both sides of the community deserve better; deserve funding, deserve appropriate mental health services, deserve to celebrate music and art and deserve the freedom to express our culture.

“They didn’t like the fact that we are totally opposed to all they represent, embodied right now by their arming of genocide in Gaza. What they did was a fascist type action, an attempt to block art that does not agree with their views after an independent body made a decision. Their own courts have now found in KNEECAP's favour, as we knew they would. They have tried to silence us and they have failed.”

KNEECAP’s solicitor, Darragh Mackin, commented: “KNEECAP continue to lead by example in practising what they preach. Not only do they sing about cearta, but today they have shown they will even hold the British government itself to account to protect them.”

The UK government also released a statement confirming the end of the case, writing: "This government’s priority is to try and reduce costs, and help protect the taxpayer from further expense, so we will not continue to contest KNEECAP's challenge as we do not believe it in the public interest.

"The music industry is the heart and soul of our economy and are committed to helping acts continue to thrive and break into new markets, including through our MEGS programme - which has helped around 400 artists tour the globe."