Latitude Festival has dropped its sponsor, Barclays, after several musicians and comedians withdrew in protest over the bank’s ties to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Following discussions with artists, Latitude Festival announced that they have agreed with Barclays that the bank will step back from sponsorship of the event.
Comedians Joanne McNally, Sophie Duker, Grace Campbell, and Alexandra Haddow all announced they would be boycotting the festival last week. Musicians including CMAT, Pillow Queens, Mui Zyu, and Georgia Ruth had also pulled out.
Palestine Action, a group whose members attacked 20 Barclays branches across England and Scotland last week, has accused Barclays of having financial interests in both Israel’s weapons trade and fossil fuels. Barclays asserts that while it provides financial services to “public companies that supply defence products to NATO and its allies,” it does not directly invest in these firms.
Taskmaster star McNally, who had been set to close the festival, wrote in an Instagram story last week: “I’m getting messages today about me performing at Latitude when it’s being sponsored by Barclays. I’m no longer doing Latitude. I was due to close the comedy tent on the Sunday night, but I pulled out last week. I’m on the old artwork but I haven’t been listed on the site since I pulled out a week ago.”
Duker shared a photo of herself at a previous Latitude Festival and confirmed she would be boycotting the event. She wrote: “I am committed to minimising my complicity in what I consider to be a pattern of abhorrent, unlawful violence.” The 34-year-old comedian also said her pro-Palestinian stance “has gained me violent abuse, targeted pile-ons and death threats.”
Fellow comedian Grace Campbell, daughter of Sir Tony Blair’s former spokesman Alastair Campbell, shared Duker’s post in an Instagram story, announcing she was also pulling out of the festival. Meanwhile, comedian Alexandra Haddow said she too would no longer appear, writing on Instagram: “I can’t in good conscience take the fee.”
In a post shared on her Instagram account last week, Irish singer-songwriter CMAT said: “I will not allow my precious work, my music, which I love so much, to get into bed with violence.”
Barclays has been approached for comment. In response to the exodus of acts, Barclays previously defended its position, saying it recognised “the profound human suffering” caused by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“We provide vital financial services to US, UK, and European public companies that supply defence products to NATO and its allies,” Barclays said in a statement. “Barclays does not directly invest in these companies. The defence sector is fundamental to our national security and the UK government has been clear that supporting defence companies is compatible with ESG considerations. Decisions on the implementation of arms embargoes to other nations are the job of respective elected governments.”
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Latitude Festival at Henham Park in Suffolk, held from the 25th to 29th July.
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