AFTER GETTING OFF to such a promising start with the restoration of power-sharing in Stormont, we’ve ended yet another week in a nosedive for Anglo-Irish relations. 

Belfast rap trio Kneecap are taking legal action against the UK government after they had £15,000 in government funding cancelled over the themes of their music, including Irish republicanism and anti-Union sentiment. 

In an attempt to explain the decision, a spokesperson for Secretary of State for Trade Kemi Badenoch told The Journal in a piece published on Thursday: “We fully support freedom of speech, but it’s hardly surprising that we don’t want to hand out UK taxpayers’ money to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself.”

That might sound vaguely reasonable for about five seconds until you realise it’s completely oxymoronic. Providing funding for artists like Kneecap is quite literally what is required in order to “support freedom of speech”. You cannot support something by starving it. At best, Badenoch is taking a very dim view of free speech.

To suggest that opposition to the United Kingdom as it currently exists somehow falls outside the bounds of ordinary free speech is ludicrous. Especially so when the primary opposition in question is codified as a legitimate political stance under the Good Friday Agreement.

The Good Friday Agreement also protects people in Northern Ireland from discrimination on the basis of their political aspirations. Under Constitutional Issues, the agreement guarantees “parity of esteem and of just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos, and aspirations of both communities,” referring specifically to those who believe in a “united Ireland”.

The dispute kicked up a notch on Friday evening with Phoenix Law in Belfast announcing that they had been instructed by the group to advise the Secretary that legal proceedings were underway, and that they would be working with barrister and former Sunday Game analyst Joe Brolly.

We have been instructed by @KNEECAPCEOL in respect of the recent decision by the Sec of State. She has today been put on notice that her decision is unlawful, and legal proceedings will follow. Our @darraghmackin is instructed acting with @JoeBrolly1993 & Mr Ronan Lavery KC.

— Phoenix Law Belfast (@PhoenixLawHR) February 9, 2024

Hopefully the boys have another movie in them after their Sundance debut because that’s the courtroom drama that the people really want to see. Get Charles Dance in as the KC for the Department of Trade and let’s win some Oscars, baby.

On a pop culture level, it could be in the interests of Kneecap to pursue this fight. It’s not often that truly subversive voices make it into the mainstream consciousness of any country, let alone having the potential to crack two countries at once. The band is creative, vicious, and already quite popular, and one suspects the British government would have been wiser to simply fork over the £15,000 than poke the bear. Particularly since the bear already didn’t have much time for them and has access to a famous and popular barrister. It seems certain that the ensuing fight will elevate Kneecap’s profile – and their cause – in both Ireland and England. 

While Badenoch’s decision will receive plenty of press attention on this side of the Irish Sea, it was the Prime Minister himself who came under more fire this week for a disturbing and public show of callousness. 

Rishi Sunak has refused to apologise for remarks in which he attacked Labour leader Keir Starmer over making a U-turn on “defining a woman” – seemingly a mocking reference at the expense of transgender people.

Sunak chose to make the remark on the same day that PMQs were attended by Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered trans teenager Brianna Ghey. Sunak failed to meet Ghey, and was roundly criticised by his political opponents and beyond, including particularly biting criticism from Brianna Ghey’s father, who called Sunak’s comments “dehumanising” and said the Prime Minister should apologise. Sunak has since defended his comments as “absolutely legitimate,” so… Good luck to Kneecap and their legal team. They are facing a formidable foe. 

This was truly terrible from Sunak. But let’s not kid ourselves - had Brianna’s mum not been there today, no-one (including Keir Starmer) would have batted an eyelid.
It’s not good enough to stand against transphobia only when the mother of a murdered trans girl might be… https://t.co/2GYHZRevAj

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) February 7, 2024

Returning to a matter that this column has addressed before, Ireland’s horrifying spate of apparent anti-immigrant arson attacks continued. It does finally appear, however, that this is the week that Garda investigations began to yield tangible results. Arrests were made in multiple arson investigations, including five arrests related to the Sandwith St tent burning and three arrests related to the burning of the Shipwright Inn in Ringsend.

It was at least a smattering of welcome news during a week 40 firefighters were called upon to fight a blaze in Brittas at a vacant nursing home where anti-migrant protests had recently taken place, and another vacant building was damaged in Leixlip after rumours it had been earmarked to house asylum seekers.

If nothing else, it seems intuitive that arrests in these cases could disrupt the atmosphere of impunity under which the perpetrators have operated since the attacks began in 2018.