Earlier today, prior to the cancellation of the Wireless Festival, the managing director of the event’s organizer, Festival Republic, stated that Kanye West’s visa to enter the UK had been „issued in the last few days.“
Melvin Benn shared this information during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, noting, „He has a visa already issued to appear, to come into the country, and the home secretary may well rescind that today, I don’t know. If she [Shabana Mahmood] does, she does, and then the issue is over in terms of his appearance.“
However, just hours later, it was confirmed that the government had decided to prohibit West from entering the UK.
During his discussion on Today, Benn also mentioned that Jewish communities had opted not to meet with West: „We have reached out and they’ve refused to meet him.“
In contrast, a spokesperson for the Board of Deputies clarified, „Neither the Board of Deputies nor, we understand, the Jewish Leadership Council has refused any request to meet with the Wireless festival organizers.“
They added, „When the Board of Deputies received a letter from Melvin Benn on 6 April, proposing to meet, in response to a letter we sent setting out our concerns, we responded positively. In any event, we are clear that the invitation to Kanye West to perform should be rescinded.“
Image caption, Melvin Benn, pictured last year.
