Keir Starmer urged to block Kanye West from entering UK

By Tolulope Oke

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing calls to prevent American rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, from entering the UK to perform at this year’s Wireless Festival in London.

The rapper, who is set to headline all three nights of the festival in Finsbury Park this July, has been widely criticised for a series of anti-Semitic remarks and public admiration for Adolf Hitler.

His controversial actions have prompted major sponsors, including Pepsi and Diageo, to withdraw support from the festival.

West has not performed in the UK since Glastonbury 2015, but last year released a song titled “Heil Hitler” and previously advertised swastika-themed merchandise on his website. The rapper has also faced repeated bans on social media platform X due to anti-Semitic content.

Labour MPs, including Rachael Maskell and Luke Akehurst, have urged the government to act, arguing that West’s history makes him “not conducive to the public good.” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has the legal authority to exclude non-citizens whose presence is likely to incite public disorder or who have engaged in extremism or other unacceptable behaviour.

In response, West has publicly apologised for his past actions. In a January 2026 Wall Street Journal advert, he attributed his behaviour to bipolar disorder caused by a car crash injury 25 years ago. He wrote: “I am not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jewish people.” He had also previously apologised to the Jewish community in 2023 via a social media post in Hebrew.

As of last week, West had not submitted a visa application for his UK visit. Pressure is mounting on Starmer to consider legal measures to prevent his entry, with campaign groups like the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) calling the case “clear-cut.”