Sir Keir Starmer has demanded the BBC explain how “appalling” chants of “death to the IDF” were broadcast as part of its coverage of Glastonbury.
Police are assessing footage of sets by Bob Vylan, who led crowds in chants of “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF” (the Israeli Defence Force), and Irish rap trio Kneecap, who suggested fans “start a riot” outside one of the band member’s upcoming court appearance.
The prime minister said: “There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech… The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”
His comments come after politicians and former BBC staff lined up to say the broadcaster and the festival both had questions to answer.
The Independent understands the row is expected to be discussed when MPs on the Commons culture committee meet on Tuesday, raising the spectre that BBC bosses, such as the director general Tim Davie, could be called to give evidence to parliament.
The culture secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to Mr Davie about Bob Vylan’s performance.
Sir Keir Starmer added: “I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence.”
Health secretary Wes Streeting denounced the scenes as “appalling” and said “the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens”.
On social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival”. But, in response, Mr Streeting also told the Israeli government to get its “own house in order” and take violence against Palestinians more seriously.
The shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said the BBC should have cut the live feed for Bob Vylan’s performance.
“I think if you were in the BBC and seeing that you were broadcasting that to the nation, that can’t be the right thing,” she said. “I mean, yes, I believe in free speech, but that was incitement to violence. It was incitement to kill. That is not something that we support in this country. And I think the BBC should have shifted to something else.”
Former Conservative culture secretary Lucy Frazer said the BBC “failed in its responsibility to the licence fee payer”, while ex-BBC executive and presenter Roger Bolton told Times Radio the channel “should have cut away” from the performance and “cancelled the broadcast” after the chants of “death to the IDF”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes at Glastonbury “grotesque”, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “Glorifying violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.
“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”
Glastonbury Festival said it was “appalled” by the actions of Bob Vylan, adding: “Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”
Kneecap, from Belfast, hit the headlines in recent weeks after Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence.
Discussing his bandmate’s forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.”
In the run-up to the festival, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up, including Sir Keir, who said their performance would not be “appropriate”.
During the performance, Caireallain said: “The prime minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.”
Asked about the Israel Embassy’s response to chants at Glastonbury, Mr Streeting added that he would “say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank.
“I think there’s a serious point there by the Israeli Embassy [that] I take seriously. I wish they’d take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously.”
He said what people should be talking about in the context of Israel and Gaza is the humanitarian catastrophe and the fact that Israeli settlers attacked a Christian village this week.
He added: “All life is sacred. And I find it pretty revolting we’ve got to a stage in this conflict where you’re supposed to sort of cheer on one side or the other like it’s a football team.”
