Tory leader suggests Kneecap could be jailed for incitement

Watch full interview: Conservatives leader also discussed mass deportations, the UK's two party system and the first thing she'd do as prime minister

Kemi Badenoch has suggested Kneecap could be jailed for incitement after one member of the band appeared to suggest people should "kill" their local MP.

The rap group from Belfast have sparked controversy recently for both appearing to support Hamas at a gig last year and for a video which has emerged from a 2023 show in which one of the trio said: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP".

Counter-terror officers have been assessing the video and the Metropolitan Police is considering whether to launch a full investigation into the group, but the Conservative Party leader has been demanding a prosecution.

"They have committed a crime - incitement," Badenoch told ITV News."They're calling for MPs to be killed. They're supporting terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. They need to go to court and be prosecuted."

Asked if they should be jailed, she said: "There are people in jail for saying things that are not as bad as what Kneecap has said. And I think that they've been avoiding justice for far too long. It's time for some justice."

Kneecap has apologised to the families of two murdered MPs, David Ames and Jo Cox, insisted they condemn all forms of violence, claimed the video was taken out of context and denied supporting Hamas or Hezbollah.

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Badenoch was speaking to ITV News ahead of England's local elections on Thursday.

Her party is predicted to be the big losers of the council and mayoral elections, but Badenoch says that's because the Conservatives are fighting seats last won under Boris Johnson while he was extremely popular.

Labour is also expected to perform poorly, while the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform UK are aiming high - leading experts to suggest these local elections could cement a five party system as the new normal.

But Badenoch says the Lib Dems, Greens and Reform UK are just "protest parties".

Asked if the two party system will survive, she said: "It's not so much about a two party system. It's that there's some parties who just tell everybody what they want to hear.

"When they're talking to left wing people, they're on the left. When they're talking to people on the right, they pretend that they're on their side. They say whatever it is that they can to get elected."

Voters go to the polls in 23 council areas across England and six mayoral contests across devolved regions on Thursday.

A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said: “We’re working hard for every vote – she has now visited every single county that has councils up for election.”

But, he added: “We’ve got to recognise that we are coming off a historic high in 2021 when we won two thirds of the seats that were up for election, so as the leader of the opposition has said, there is going to be a correction.”

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