Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
WIRELESS in Finsbury Park: the Labour Council, their customer Live Nation and their fascist-rapper booking
GUARDIAN: Sadiq Khan and Jewish Leadership Council condemn Wireless festival ...
The Labour Council's policy of hiring out public parks has led to another controversial booking in Finsbury Park by their global, prosecuted-monopolist customer, Live Nation.
Council Leader Peray Ahmet has in the past defended and endorsed Grime as representing "working class struggle".
Grime is also associated with violence, misogyny and homophobia. Meanwhile rapper Kanye West is associated with fascism and anti-semitism.
Jobs in the council's Events Team depend on the Live Nation relationship. The council's busy PR team continue to promote Finsbury Park as a summer gig venue as part of the Borough's cultural offer.
WIRELESS 2023—CEO Festival Republic (Melvin Benn, left) with Haringey Council Leader (Peray Ahmet, right). Partners in Grime? Credit: Cllr. Ahmet's Twitter—photographer: probably council PR
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Update: at 20:30 hours, 1 April 2026
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has added his voice to the disgust already voiced and the Guardian's headline now reflects that. A few treat this as a joke. Here is what Mayor Khan had to say:
In a press statement on Wednesday 1 April, a spokesperson for London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values. This was a decision taken by the festival organizers and not one that City Hall is involved in.”
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Here are some sample questions for journalists or the council Opposition, to ask of Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council and currently seeking re-election in Noel Park Ward:
- When did the council leader first learn of the Kanye West booking?
- Was the urgency to bind the next two council Administrations before the "purdah" pre-election period, due to Cllr Ahmet's foreknowledge that Kanye West was likely to headline for three nights at Wireless?
- The council leader enjoys a close, cordial relationship with the Festival Republic promoter. If there was no foreknowledge of the booking, then why not? Was this headliner booking concealed from her?
- Was council leader Ahmet aware that the headliner in our public park was expelled from Australia?
- How much concern—if any—does leader Ahmet feel about the promotion of Nazi values, Hitler admiration, swastika display; anti-semitism, misogyny and homophobia?
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#LabourValues? #LabourParty? #Values?
Tags for Forum Posts: wireless
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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this reliance on a bipolar condition potentially insulting to all the other people who live with that condition
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Yes; and not everyone with a bi-polar condition espouses fascism. In fact few people do. The fewer the better.
Closer to the truth, is that Nazi views are held by a far wider slice of the political spectrum in the USA than in the UK. Does it matter if such views are genuinely held or paraded for publicity purposes?
The council leader finally commented yesterday, to express the Local Authority's powerlessness to "dictate" artists.
This, in Finsbury Park over which her Events Team exert absolute proprietorial control whenever they are not hiring it out. The Events Team spends some event-receipts in the park … when it benefits their future corporate customers.
#BoroughOfCulture2027
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton
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Today I'd like to play a traditional game of Simon Says.
Because I've sadly and belatedly, realised that, within these columns, we have a commentator of remarkable knowledge and depth who can pierce the heart of a matter in no more than a few brief seconds.Simon, for it is he, can predict (guess) Cllr Ahmet's silence as accurately as he spells her forename.
He can analyse which remarks are made by Melvin Benn, "No doubt in a fit of pique".How could anyone possibly ignore when Simon offers his wise advice that: a Haringey Councillor "should at least be forced to respond" as a matter of public interest and journalists should be encouraged to join the dots."
After all, who needs facts when dots are available for joining?
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COPY of two-page letter sent last night from the Joint Chairs of The Friends of Finsbury Park, to Haringey Council Leader Peray Ahmet:
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Permalink Reply by Simon
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Thanks for sharing this - some good questions.
I know that licensing decisions have been transferred to local authorities from the now abolished licensing justices but what I did not know that it’s possible to appeal to the local magistrates against a decision although the information provided says it can be expensive. Perhaps others here will know if this has been tried.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson
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From my recollection of working in that area there is a third party right to appeal to a magistrate’s court within 21 days of the decision but the appellant needs to show that their reasons for appealing were made during the original consultation.
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I can see the logic there - what is probably needed is a system of handing license applications for circumstances where it’s not appropriate for the authority to adjudicate - in conflict of interest situations for example.
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BBC report: the Government will block Kanye West from UK, leaving questions for the Haringey Council Leader to answer.
Kanye West blocked from travelling to UK, government tells BBC
The UK government has blocked Kanye West's permission to travel to the UK, following controversy over his planned headline set at this summer's Wireless Festival in London.
The Home Office told the BBC the rapper made an application to travel to the UK yesterday via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
It said the decision to refuse permission was made on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
For almost half a decade, West has caused outrage for a string of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments.
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Excellent news. The ones I feel sad for are the tiny support acts and businesses who have probably already spent a fortune in preparation for the event and will now be chasing Live Nation through the courts to recoup some of their losses.
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Permalink Reply by Jamie Harper
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How gracious. Wireless is still happening. The changing of headliners is not uncommon.
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Well there you go. It has been cancelled. Never underestimate the power of Clive and his Dad's fight against fascism.
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What a silly thing to say
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OK, Michael. In the context of 'silly' things said in this thread, I'll push back.
I'm not sure I've seen a more egregious showing of arses here. Even the dissembling Mr Stanton, appeared somewhat taken aback.
The 'Good' men have feverously latched onto this case to give voice to their petty and insignificant local political vendettas.
They have set a precedent for debating others' medical diagnoses here, while snidely dismissing them.
Invoking WW2, as coddled and self-absorbed boomers is a trope that can't end soon enough. Nothing done in the past week has or will do anything to dissuade those who wanted to see Kanye perform. His views are misguided and dangerous, but the nature and timing of the stepping into line will likely only confirm those views in his and many others' minds.
But one morsel for the 'good' men with their new found morality: 71% of Green voters (and 45%) of all adults) believe "Israel treats Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews". Now that comparison is listed in the IHRA working definition of antisemitism... the one the UK government has signed up to and the US is looking to enshrine into law.
So, presumably, the fascism fighters of HoL, the Chairs and Governors of the Friends of Finsbury Park (who include past and prospective Green councillors), and Sir Keir will find a way to ban these people from the park. Maybe a stamp on the forehead or some other distinguishing mark. Afterall, this whole thing has been about the scourge of antisemitism for these people.... nothing else.
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