Government presses BBC for explanation after broadcasting 'appalling' Kneecap and Bob Vylan at Glastonbury
The government has pressed the BBC for "an urgent and detailed explanation" after broadcasting "utterly appalling and unacceptable" performances by Kneecap and Bob Vylan from the Glastonbury music festival.
Department of Culture officials have also met with Glastonbury organisers about procedures to monitor imagery on the site of the festival – and due diligence processes for booking festival acts.
The information was revealed in a Parliamentary Answer to Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Tom Elliott of Ballinamallard.
Kneecap and Bob Vylan are facing criminal police investigations for their performances at Glastonbury Festival with the US banning the latter group from the country.
Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh is facing a terror charge after displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last year. The band says footage was taken out of context.
Lord Elliott has now welcomed a Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) decision to meet Glastonbury organisers following "disgraceful and appalling" scenes at the music festival by the bands.
Bobby Vylan led crowds at the festival in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)”.
In their own set on the stage directly afterwards, Irish rap trio Kneecap similarly led chants of “Free Palestine”.
Lrd Elliott added: “I’m pleased that DCMS has taken action in this matter, which along with police investigations will be interesting to establish the outcomes.”
Responding to a Parliamentary Question from Mr Elliott, Baroness Twycross said the Secretary of State for Culture and Media, Lisa Nandy, was clear in her statement in the Commons that the Kneecap and Bob Vylan performances at Glastonbury were "utterly appalling and unacceptable".
She added: "This Government will not tolerate antisemitism – it has absolutely no place in our society and we will be unrelenting in our work to root it out and it should not be given a platform.”
It is “absolutely right” that the BBC has now acknowledged the livestream “should have been pulled” and that it will no longer broadcast “high risk” performances live, she added. The BBC will also provide further editorial guidance around live events.
"Given the seriousness of what happened and the impact this has had on the Jewish community in this country, the Secretary of State has spoken to both the BBC Director General and Chair directly and has written to the Chair to ask for an urgent and detailed explanation about what immediate steps they intend to take.
"Following conversations between the Secretary of State and members of the Jewish community on concerns about imagery and slogans on display at the festival, DCMS officials have also met with Glastonbury organisers for detailed discussions on their procedures to monitor imagery on site, and the due diligence processes undertaken for festival acts."
The BBC has expressed regret at not pulling its live stream of Bob Vylan’s set, she said, with the Culture Secretary claiming the issue should have been foreseeable and constituted “a problem of leadership” for the broadcaster.
BBC Director General Tim Davie and BBC chairman Samir Shah will be questioned on the matter by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 9 September.
The Times reported that BBC director of music Lorna Clarke was among a group of senior staff who have stepped back from day-to-day roles after live broadcasting of the Vylan set.