Lib Dems welcome Kanye West ban, but demand answers over Wireless Festival “stakeholder” claim
Haringey Liberal Democrats have called for urgent transparency following the collapse of plans for Kanye West (Ye) to headline Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park.
The decision comes after widespread public concern, condemnation from the Liberal Democrats, and the withdrawal of corporate sponsors, following the booking of an artist with a well-documented record of anti-Semitism by event organisers Live Nation.
When Kanye West’s booking was announced, Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, Cllr Luke Cawley-Harrison, said:
“It is completely inappropriate and unacceptable for anyone with a track record of anti-Semitic behaviour to be given a platform to perform in a council-owned park. Many residents will be horrified at the idea that Haringey Council is making money from someone who spreads hatred and bigotry.”
Cllr Cawley-Harrison then joined forces with the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey MP, and the party’s London Spokesperson Luke Taylor MP, to write to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood MP, calling for West’s visa application to be blocked. The Home Office has now agreed to the Lib Dem demand, meaning the performance will no longer take place.
Rather than acknowledging the impact West's booking immediately had across the UK, the festival promoter, Live Nation, doubled down and defended its decision, stating: “As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time.”
Melvin Benn, managing director at Festival Republic, promoters for Wireless, stated just hours before West's visa application was blocked: “He [West] is intended to come in and perform.”
Cllr Cawley-Harrison says the response from the festival organisers shows how out of touch they are with the British public.
“This raises a very serious question: who exactly were these ‘stakeholders’? Because the moment this booking became public, there was immediate and widespread shock and concern.
“If no concerns were raised beforehand by whoever these stakeholders were, that suggests they either failed to recognise the problem, or they failed to ensure a voice for the community in the first place. Crucially, was Haringey Council one of the stakeholders that were consulted?”
Haringey is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, including a large Jewish community. The controversy comes just days after the Council passed a motion condemning hatred and extremism.
The Liberal Democrats are now calling on Haringey Council to:
Publish the list of stakeholders consulted prior to the booking
Clarify what role, if any, the Council had in reviewing or approving the decision
Explain what assessment was made of the potential impact on community cohesion
Tighten up both the contract and license it holds with Live Nation to ensure there are no repeats of this situation in future.
Cllr Cawley-Harrison said: “Residents deserve answers. This situation should never have arisen in the first place.”