Irish group win legal fight against UK Government over anti-Union views

AN anti-Union Irish group that were denied UK government funding because of their views have won a legal battle.

Kneecap, a hip hop trio from West Belfast, went to court after the previous Conservative government stepped in to block a £14,250 grant they had been awarded by an independent selection board.

At the time, a spokesperson for the then-business secretary Kemi Badenoch claimed to “fully support freedom of speech,” but added: “It's hardly surprising that we don't want to hand out UK taxpayers' money to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself.”

On Friday, it was announced that Kneecap had won a challenge against the now-Tory leader’s decision, after the current UK Government conceded at Belfast High Court that it was “unlawful”.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's decision to block funding was unlawfulSpeaking outside the court, Kneecap member DJ Provai said it was an “affront to the courts” that the group had to take legal action to secure the grant award.

He added: “It is also an affront to the Tory government and the British Government that they felt they had to overreach in trying to stop a band getting funding.

“They broke their own laws in trying to stop us, nothing surprises me with the British Government.”

Asked what his message to Badenoch was, DJ Provai said: “Good effort Kemi, hard lines in the elections. Onwards and upwards.”

Kneecap’s lawyer Darragh Mackin said the court ruling was a “victory for arts and culture”.

He said: “The unlawfulness of this decision was as clear as the nose on your face.

“The reality is that no matter how good the British Government’s lawyers are they couldn’t put the genie back in the bottle in this instance.

“This is a victory for arts and culture, a victory for the foundation of the Good Friday Agreement.”

Kneecap previously claimed they'd been told the grant had been blocked because their 2019 Farewell to the Union tour poster "pissed off the Tories". 

The decision to give them a grant had been made by an independent panel from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

In a statement at the time, the BPI said it was "disappointed at the government's decision not to approve a grant to the band 'Kneecap' after our independent selection board had voted for it as part of the latest round of funding applications".

The band have more recently featured in an award-winning Irish language movie about the start of their career, which is also called Kneecap.