Winston Marshall turns his back on his band and leaves. In March he praised a critical book by Andy Ngo about the Antifa and received a lot of criticism for it. Now he is drawing conclusions.
London – Banjo player Winston Marshall is leaving British folk rock band Mumford & Sons after harsh criticism of his praise for a controversial, conservative journalist.
With the move, he wanted to protect his bandmates, said Marshall. The newspaper “Telegraph” criticized on Friday that the musician had become a victim of the “Cancel Culture”. British Conservatives mean the phenomenon that people are condemned in public for failing to adhere to supposedly valid standards, such as political correctness.
Marshall had praised a critical book by Andy Ngo about the Antifa in March and called the controversial reporter a “brave man”. Thereupon it rained criticism in social media, some users accused the musician of spreading fascism. Marshall apologized. In a statement on Thursday, however, he emphasized that he had only apologized at the time to take pressure off his bandmates. Rather, he is stepping out of the group so that he can easily express his opinion. “I could stay and continue to censor myself, but it will undermine my sense of integrity. It would gnaw at my conscience. ”Marshall said he condemned left and right extremism.
Mumford & Sons albums have been awarded platinum multiple times in the UK. In Germany, too, the band was often one of the main acts at events such as the “Hurricane” festival.
The banjo player is the son of hedge fund manager Paul Marshall, one of the financiers of the new conservative TV station GB News, which has declared war on “Cancel Culture” and wants to challenge the BBC, which is known for its demonstrative independence. Paul Marshall tweeted that he was proud of his son. dpa
