John Lydon, the iconic frontman of the Sex Pistols, has publicly criticized the Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap for their controversial statements, including a call to 'kill your local MP.' During an appearance on ITV's 'Good Morning Britain,' Lydon expressed his disdain for the group's violent rhetoric, stating, 'If you're advocating the death of another human being, then you have no cause whatsoever. You are my enemy from here on in for the rest of your mediocre existence.'

Lydon's comments come as Kneecap faces scrutiny from UK counter-terrorism officers over the remarks made during a 2023 gig in London. The group has since apologized, claiming their words were taken out of context and denying any intent to incite violence. However, Lydon remained unconvinced, suggesting that Kneecap might 'need a bloody good kneecapping,' a remark that underscores his frustration with their approach.

The controversy has sparked a broader discussion about the line between provocative art and harmful rhetoric. Lydon, no stranger to controversy himself, pointed out the irony of being both criticized and celebrated by the establishment during the Sex Pistols' heyday. He dismissed any comparison between his band's anti-establishment stance and Kneecap's recent actions, emphasizing the importance of not making enemies of fellow human beings.

As the debate continues, Kneecap's future remains uncertain, with their statements under investigation. Meanwhile, Lydon's outspoken criticism serves as a reminder of the punk legend's enduring influence and his willingness to speak his mind, even when it means calling out those who might see themselves as his successors.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced an urgent independent inquiry into maternity services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, describing himself as "shocked" by families' experiences of "repeated maternity failures in Leeds - made worse by the unacceptable response of the trust." The decision comes after years of campaigning by bereaved families who reported feeling "gaslit, dismissed and even blamed" for what went wrong at one of Europe's largest teaching hospitals. Mr. Streeting emphasized the "stark contradiction between scale and safety standards" at the trust, which official data shows "remains an outlier on perinatal mortality."

The inquiry follows a June downgrade by the Care Quality Commission, which rated maternity services at the trust as "inadequate" and identified serious risks to women and babies. Inspectors highlighted a deep-rooted "blame culture" that made staff reluctant to raise concerns about incidents. Brendan Brown, chief executive of LTH NHS Trust, apologized to bereaved families and expressed hope that the inquiry would provide them with "answers." He stated the trust is "determined to do better" and is already taking significant steps to improve maternity and neonatal services following reviews by regulatory bodies.

Families affected by the failures have welcomed the inquiry but are calling for rigorous leadership, specifically requesting that midwife Donna Ockenden chair the investigation. Fiona Winser-Ramm, whose daughter Aliona died in 2020 after an inquest found multiple failures, emphasized the importance of ensuring the inquiry is "the best and most thorough that it can possibly be." She described how families have been "thrust into this life that none of us should be living," noting that their shared grief should never have brought them together under such circumstances.

Serious questions are now being raised about what Sir Julian Hartley, who led the trust for ten years until 2023 and now heads the Care Quality Commission, knew about the poor maternity care. In a statement, Sir Julian expressed being "truly sorry" for families' suffering and said that while he was "absolutely committed to ensuring good patient care across all services, including maternity," this commitment "wasn't enough to prevent some families suffering pain and loss." Lauren Caulfield, whose daughter Grace died in 2022, called it "completely unacceptable that nothing has been done to date" to examine Sir Julian's role, expressing hope that the inquiry will address this gap.