Firebrand Tory MP Mark Francois has torn into the government for handing £14,000 of taxpayer cash to a band now accused of calling for the murder of MPs. Irish nationalist band Kneecap was caught telling an audience in 2023 to “kill your local MP.”

The clip has sparked fury across parties, and from the daughter of murdered MP Sir David Amess. Speaking in the Commons this afternoon, Mark Francois demanded intervention by the government and the Speaker. However he levelled particular fury at the government’s decision to hand thousands of pounds to the band in the form of a grant.

Kneecap’s cash was initially blocked by Kemi Badenoch while serving as Business Secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government, on the grounds taxpayers should not be supporting groups who “oppose the United Kingdom itself”.

Following Labour’s election win last year, the Government decided to no longer contest an appeal of Ms Badenoch’s decision by the band, brought on the grounds of discrimination.

Therefore the original grant was handed to Kneecap.

The band has frequently courted controversy with their echoing of IRA messaging and support for Hezbollah and Hamas, however the new footage has sparked new levels of anger and backlash.

Katie Amess, the daughter of Sir David who was brutally stabbed to death in 2021, said she was “absolutely gobsmacked at the stupidity of somebody or a group of people being in the public eye and saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman has also condemned the band’s comments as “completely unacceptable”, while the footage is now being assessed by counter-terrorism police.

Today a Labour MP went further, calling on Glastonbury to disinvite Kneecap from this year’s festival.

David Taylor, the MP for Hemel Hempstead, blasted the band and warned of “serious concern regarding the inclusion of the group… in the upcoming Glastonbury Festival line-up.”

In a letter to Sir Michael Eavis, the co-creator of the Somerset festival, Mr Taylor argued: “If these reports are accurate, the group’s actions and statements go beyond the realm of legitimate political expression and into the dangerous territory of inciting violence and promoting extremism, as well as severe antisemitism.”

“By hosting such a group, Glastonbury festival risks undermining its proud tradition of promoting peace, unity, and social responsibility.

“It would be deeply troubling to see the festival provide a platform to individuals who advocate hatred and violence especially at a time when political and social tensions are already high.

“I urge you to reconsider the decision to host kneecap and remove them from the list of performers.

“Doing so would send a clear message that Glastonbury stands firmly against violence, terrorism and political extremism in all its forms.”

The band has a history of also vocally supporting the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, with another video showing one of the band’s members shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” while displaying the latter’s flag.

Both organisations are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for either.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said Kneecap’s “anti-British hatred has no place in our society”.

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“After the murder of Sir David Amess, this demands prosecution.”

Two MPs have been murdered in the last 10 years, Sir David Amess and Jo Cox in 2016 during the Brexit referendum campaign.

On Sunday, a Met Police spokesman said: ‘We were made aware of a video on April 22, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the counter terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.

‘We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023.’

He also said the force ‘are assessing both to determine whether further police investigation is required’.