Families of murdered MPs reject Kneecap’s ‘half an apology’

By Joe Hadden, PA Reporter

The husband and daughter of two murdered British MPs have condemned Irish rap group Kneecap over footage allegedly showing the band calling for MPs to be killed.

Brendan Cox, whose wife Jo Cox was murdered in 2016, said Kneecap’s statement of regret on Monday was “only half an apology” and lacked genuine reflection.

“It’s fine to say that you’re sorry for it, but the way that they have actually spoken about it is to suggest that it’s a conspiracy, that they have been targeted unfairly and for me that then doesn’t come across as, unfortunately, particularly genuine,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.

“The apology that they’ve given I don’t think has grappled enough with the gravity of what they said,” he added.

“It wasn’t a throwaway remark – it was a very clear incitement to violence.”

Mr Cox said he would be open to meeting the band “if that was part of a genuine journey” to reject political violence.

But he warned that their response felt more about “saving their bookings or their tour” than true remorse.

Kneecap denied inciting violence, calling the clip “deliberately taken out of context”, but did say: “To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies.”

Katie Amess, daughter of Conservative MP Sir David Amess – killed in 2021 – called the group’s comments “absolutely devastating”.

“To hear people lauding it – and hoping it will be done again is just absolutely shattering,” she told GB News.

“You’re speaking to thousands of people that are young, that are impressionable.

“It’s not art – it is verbatim telling people to go on and commit a murder.”

She added: “It’s not a game. It’s not funny. This is serious.

“They need to apologise and think before they speak about the actions that could come from these horrible words.”