Kate Bush: 'I'm not a Tory supporter'

The star rarely makes public statements

Kate Bush has written a statement to clarify she does not support the Conservative party, two years after praising Theresa May in an interview.

The star was speaking to Canadian website Macleans in 2016 when she was asked about Hilary Clinton and "the fear of women's power".

In response, she said it was "great to have a woman in charge" of the UK.

"I think it's the best thing that's happened to us in a long time," she said of May's ascension to power.

"I actually really like her and think she's wonderful. She's a very intelligent woman but I don't see much to fear."

Her comments were interpreted at the time as an endorsement of Brexit and conservative policy.

• Kate Bush says Theresa May is 'wonderful'

But writing on her website, Bush said her comments were quoted "out of context" and that she found the experience "deeply frustrating".

She continued: "At the time I discussed the idea of responding to it with close friends and we all agreed it was best to let it go."

However, the quote continued to resurface - most recently in coverage of her remastered back catalogue, and a book of her lyrics, which was published last month, prompting her to issue a clarification.

"My response to the interviewer was not meant to be political but rather was in the defence of women in power," she said.

"I felt he was putting a really negative slant on powerful women, referring to a witch hunt involving Hillary Clinton. In response I said that we had a woman in charge of our country, and that I felt it was a good thing to have women in power.

"I should have been clearer when I then said it was the best thing that had happened to us for a long time - because I greatly disliked the behaviour of the previous PM [David Cameron], who at that point I felt had abandoned us and everybody felt angry and let down."

She added that the article "could make it seem like I am a Tory supporter, which I want to make clear I am not".

The star rarely gives interviews and talks about politics even less frequently.

However, in 1990 she wrote the score for an episode of the TV comedy The Comic Strip Presents... that featured a homage to Labour politician Ken Livingstone, which featured the lines "Who's the man we all need? Ken! Who's a funky sex machine? Ken!"

• More on Kate Bush

• BBC Music homepage

• BBC Music News LIVE