UK rap trio Kneecap has accused the UK government of censorship after it revoked their application for the Music Export Growth Scheme. Although their application had initially been approved, it was later withdrawn. The trio, who hail from Belfast, said they had been told by an unnamed source that their 2019 tour poster “pissed off the Tories.” The UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch’s spokesperson denied the claim, 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”.
Critics have spoken out against the decision. Colum Eastwood, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, submitted questions to Badenoch, stating that art is “meant to be challenging”. Eastwood also argued that “It would be unacceptable if the British government had instituted a policy of defunding groups because they support Irish unity, Scottish independence, Welsh independence or any other change to the constitutional status quo.”
Funded by the UK government, the Music Export Growth Scheme aims to assist British musicians with up to £50,000 to expand their international audience. Kneecap is among those who have been prevented from benefiting by the funding scheme. In 2020, the fund was awarded to artists including Dave, Jungle, Rina Sawayama, Kae Tempest, and Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective.
BPI, the delivery partner for MEGS, said it was disappointed by the government’s decision, while music fans, luminaries, and critics took to Twitter to show their solidarity with Kneecap. Some others, however, felt that Kneecap was not being censored but was, instead, being denied access to public funds
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