RAPPERS Kneecap have won their discrimination case against the British government after a minister withdrew an arts grant that they were initially awarded because they "oppose" the United Kingdom.

In February, the group revealed that their application for assistance from the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) had been knocked back.

When the Andersonstown News initially contacted the Department of Business and Trade, a spokesperson said that the trio had been refused funding because they are "people that oppose the United Kingdom". 

The scheme – a partnership between the British government and industry – supports small to medium-sized music companies looking to grow their artists' profiles internationally.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch announced £1.6 million in MEGS funding to boost 67 artists from across the UK and support homegrown musical talent. Kneecap said that despite their application being approved by the selection board, it was subsequently blocked by the British government.

At Belfast High Court this morning Kneecap were awarded £14,250 – the same amount they were initially granted.

In a statement, the band said Badenoch, who is now the leader of the Conservative Party, and her department had "tried to silence us and they have failed".

“For us, this action was never about £14,250; it could have been 50 pence. The motivation was equality.

“This was an attack on artistic culture, an attack on the Good Friday Agreement itself and an attack on Kneecap and our way of expressing ourselves.

“The former secretary of state Kemi Badenoch and her department acted unlawfully; this is now a fact. They don’t like that we oppose British rule, that we don’t believe that England serves anyone in Ireland and the working classes on both sides of the community deserve better; deserve funding, deserve appropriate mental health services, deserve to celebrate music and art and deserve the freedom to express our culture.

“They broke their own laws in trying to silence Kneecap.”

Kneecap’s lawyer, Darragh Mackin from Phoenix Law, said: “A court has exonerated our clients and declared this decision unlawful in every sense of the word.

“Today is not only a victory for Kneecap, but a victory for the arts, for culture, for the freedom of expression. Kneecap continue to lead by example in practising what they preach.”

Kneecap say they will split the £14,250 grant between cross-community youth organisation R-City who work with young people from the Shankill and Ardoyne and Irish language group Glór na Móna in West Belfast.

A spokesperson for the Department said the decision was made not to continue contesting the band's challenge as "we do not believe it is in the public interest".

The spokesperson added: “This government’s priority is to try and reduce costs and help protect the taxpayer from further expense" adding that the music industry is "the heart and soul of the economy" and that the government is "committed to helping acts continue to thrive and break into new markets".