Prime Minister accused of giving 'green light' to racist abuse of England's footballers

Boris Johnson has been accused of giving the racist abuse of England’s footballers the “green light”.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, the Tory leader was criticised for describing the team’s decision to protest against racial injustice as a “gesture”.

In the run-up to the tournament, the squad were booed for taking the knee by a number of their own fans. 

When asked to condemn the boos, Johnson’s spokesperson said the Prime Minister ”supports individuals' rights to protest,” adding: "On taking the knee, specifically, the Prime Minister is more focused on action rather than gestures."

When Home Secretary Priti Patel was asked if England fans were right to boo the national team, she said: “That’s a choice for them, quite frankly.”

One Tory MP, Lee Anderson even boycotted watching England games because of the players’ protest. 

Following England’s defeat to Italy in Sunday’s Euro final, three black players who missed penalties - Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho - were all subjected to racist abuse on social media.

On Monday morning, Patel tweeted that the racist abuse was “vile” and added: “It has no place in our country and I back the police to hold those responsible accountable.”

However, that infuriated England defender Tyrone Mings, who tweeted back to the Home Secretary: “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against happens.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer said that “far from giving racism a red card”, Johnson had given it “a green light”.

The Prime Minister responded: “I utterly condemn and abhor the racist outpourings that we saw on Sunday night, and so what we’re doing is today is taking practical steps to ensure that the football banning order regime is changed, so that if you are guilty of racist abuse online of footballers, then you will not be going to the match, no ifs, no buts, no exemptions and no excuses.”

Starmer said the Tories had tried to “stoke a culture war" before the tournament but ministers were now backtracking now that they have "realised they're on the wrong side".

He asked: “Why else would a Conservative MP boast that he's not watching his own team? Why else would another Conservative MP say that Marcus Rashford spends too much time playing politics when he's actually trying to feed children that the government won't? And why will the prime minister refuse time and time again - even now - to condemn those who boo our players for standing up against racism?

"What is it that this England team symbolises that this Conservative Party is so afraid of?"

The Prime Minister said he did not "want to engage in a political culture war of any kind, I want to get on with delivering for the people of this country".

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Johnson’s decision not to back the taking of the knee was “shameful”. He asked the Prime Minister about comments made in a 2002 Daily Telegraph column where Johnson described Africans as “flag waving piccaninnies with watermelon smiles”.

He said: “The tragedy of this tournament was the undercurrent of racism that was ultimately targeted at three young men - Rashford, Sancho and Saka.

“Wherever there is racism, it falls on all of us to face it down and call it out.

“It is shameful that it took until last night for the Prime Minister to meet with the main social media companies and finally wake up to the fact that those who publish and promote vile racist abuse online need to be faced down and sanctioned.

“So, can the Prime Minister tell us what sanctions he thinks would be appropriate for someone who publishes racist content – and it shocking to even have to say this out loud -describing Africans as 'flag waving piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles'?”

Responding, the Prime Minister said: “I've commented many times about the words that I've said in the past and I think the House understands how you can take things out of context.

“There is a chance now, to hold these internet companies to account, and to make sure that they face fines running to 10 per cent of their global income if they fail to take hate and racism off their platforms and I hope the Scottish National Party will support it.”