Kemi Badenoch takes aim at 'two-tier justice' in Lucy Connolly case after Bob Vylan controversy: 'Inequality before the law!'

Delivering her verdict on Bob Vylan's pro-Palestine and anti-IDF chants at the festival on Saturday, Badenoch stated: "If they cannot stop acts from preaching hate, talking about from the river to the sea, death to the IDF, that's absolutely disgusting.

"There were two bands who do this, Bob Vylan, the other one was Kneecap, which if you remember, I stopped them getting Government money when I was Business secretary.

"An election happened, Labour caved in, let them have that money. We are actually paying some of these people, it's completely ridiculous."

In direct criticism of the BBC, Badenoch told the People's Channel: "The BBC needs to do better. There were loads of acts that they could have filmed that day. Why did they film the one that was pushing messages that were incitement to hate?"

Pressed by GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope if Director General Tim Davie should resign, Badenoch said: "I think that Tim Davie has a lot of serious questions to answer.

"This is not the first time that the BBC has been accused of allowing material that is intimidating to Jews.

"And what I want to say to the Jewish people in our country is that we back you, we support you, we can see what is happening. It is quite wrong for any sort of intimidation to be taking place."

Comparing the controversy surrounding the BBC and Bob Vylan to the case of Lucy Connolly, Badenoch fumed: "You only need to look at what happened with Lucy Connolly, what she did was not as significant as many of these more horrific cases. So it's quite clear that sometimes the state knows how to tackle this.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Ex-BBC journalist blasts broadcaster for 'massive failing' over Bob Vylan: 'Disgraceful!'
• Bob Vylan DROPPED by major talent agency after ‘death to IDF’ chant at Glastonbury
• Bobby Vylan 'MUST be treated like Lucy Connolly' say MPs as 'two-tier justice' row grips Glastonbury

"Let's see them tackle these people who are pushing hateful messages and stop rushing out, putting mums in prison for tweets when actually there are a lot of other people who deserve much stricter sanctions."

Asked whether this is an example of two-tier justice, Badenoch agreed: "It looks like it, and I do think that we need to get to a place where we have equality under the law, the same justice for everybody. That's what the Conservative Party stands for.

"It exercises me. There was a lot of leeway that could have been looked at at many points, the charging, the sentencing.

"What she did was wrong, but what we're seeing is that a lot of other people do the same thing and do worse, and they get away with it.

"And that's what I hate. It's that inequality before the law. Let's have one law for everybody."

In a statement, Culture and Media Secretary Lisa Nandy has said the BBC "failed to uphold its own standards", and has asked "essential questions" of Director General Tim Davie.

The BBC said: "The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves."

Condemning the performance by the duo, Glastonbury chief Emily Eavis stated: "We are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday.

"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."