Kid Kapichi share statement ahead of tomorrow’s election: “We would urge everyone to use their voice”

Ahead of tomorrow’s general election (July 4), Kid Kapichi have shared a collective statement on the state of UK politics, where their own beliefs are at right now, and unsurprisingly, getting the Tories out…

The Hastings punks have been vocal with their opinions through music and interviews for many years now, and today they stress how this week’s result “will have repercussions that will last for generations, whatever the outcome”.

“Another term of Tory government will see the social and physical infrastructure of this country finally bent to the point of breaking, and the final clusters of struggling public resources will be used to line the pockets of a ruling elite,” Kid Kapichi begin. “All the proof anyone needs is there to be seen from the last 14 years.”

Going into the different sides of the debate, they continue that, “We’re in an unfortunate situation in the UK where a vote for change is usually choosing between the lesser of 2 – or more – evils, and rarely aligned with people’s actual ideals of the things that would be beneficial to this country. That is particularly pronounced at the moment with the disappointing and dreadful leadership of an already concerning Labour Party.

“It would do wonders for this country to have more than 2 political parties in prominence, it would balance out government action and potentially reduce the divided society that a binary political system creates; sometimes it takes voting for the underdog parties a few elections in a row to help them rise to prominence.

“It has to be stressed that splitting the anti-Tory vote and having even one more term of conservative government would likely damage the fabric of this country beyond repair for decades to come. People counting their chickens to say the Tories don’t have a chance need only remember the social media echo chambers which landed us in the 2019 election, Brexit, Trump etc.”

As such, the band “urge everyone to use their voice and their vote wherever possible, and to make sure you make yourself aware of how your vote can be used tactically to get the Tories out of power, even though we fully acknowledge and share in absolute criticism and protest against Kier Starmer’s Labour Party”.

You can check that out right here.

On a personal level, Kid Kapichi add that they are “in all honesty more aligned with the Green Party, but in Hastings where the Tory seat is won or lost by a handful of votes, tactically we need to vote Labour to get the Tories gone”. They stress that, “It’s not by any means simple, but it feels like whatever it takes to remove the Conservative government has to be the priority in whatever form that takes.

“In an ideal world we would support the parties we want to see in power in the future, and once the Tories are out that feels more in reach – but at the moment allowing them to remain in power feels like the greatest of all evils and a crushing blow to the future of the UK. Fuck the Tories and what they’ve done to this country.”

In other news, the band recently released a music video for Can EU Hear Me? – watch that below:

Kid Kapichi will support Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes on the road later this year, with frontman Jack Wilson enthusing: “Last time we were out on the road with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes was in 2019 before anybody had even heard of the word COVID or even the words ‘Kid Kapichi’. It’s safe to say Frank gave us our first break as a band and we owe him and the rest of the guys a lot. This tour is going to be a real celebration of our love for them and all of you in Europe. You know we can’t stay away too long.”

Read this: Property Is Theft: A history of punk rock and squatting