Johnson and Patel accused of hypocrisy over
racist abuse of England footballers
PM and home secretary criticised despite condemning
racism aimed at players after match
Rowena
Mason Deputy political editor
Mon 12 Jul
2021 15.40 BST
Boris
Johnson and Priti Patel have been accused of hypocrisy over their stance on
racism in football, after they condemned the abuse of three black England
players but previously refused to criticise fans who booed the team for taking
the knee.
Both the
prime minister and home secretary said they were appalled by social media abuse
of Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho, who missed penalties in the
Euro 2020 final at Wembley on Sunday night.
But Sayeeda
Warsi, a Conservative peer and former co-chairman, sent a public message to
Patel, the home secretary, calling on her and all Conservatives to “think about
our role in feeding this culture in our country”.
“If we
‘whistle’ & the ‘dog’ reacts we can’t be shocked if it barks & bites,”
she tweeted. “It’s time to stop the culture wars that are feeding division. Dog
whistles win votes but destroy nations.”
She added:
“As a proud centre-right politician, as a proud part of a diverse vibrant
nation that produced a football team that spoke to and represented England in
all its modern diverse glory it shames me that in 2021 some in politics are
still playing fast & loose with issues of race.”
Keir
Starmer, the Labour leader, also criticised the prime minister who, he said,
had “failed the test of leadership because whatever he says today about racism
he had a simple choice at the beginning of this tournament in relation to the
booing of those who were taking the knee.
“The prime
minister failed to call that out and the actions and inactions of leaders have
consequences, so I’m afraid the prime minister’s words today ring hollow.”
Angela
Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, was even more explicitly critical, saying
Johnson and Patel “gave licence to the racists who booed the England players
and are now racially abusing England players”. She said they were “like
arsonists complaining about a fire they poured petrol on – total hypocrites”.
No 10
defended the prime minister against accusations of hypocrisy, with his
spokesman saying he “utterly rejects that claim”.
“The PM set
out this morning his response to some of the awful comments we’ve seen … He was
clear he wanted to see everyone getting behind the team to cheer them on and
said racism in any form has no place in our society. He made it extremely clear
before England played their first game that he wanted to see the whole nation
getting behind the team and not booing.”
Johnson
tweeted: “This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused
on social media. Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed
of themselves.”
Priti
Patel, the home secretary, said she was “disgusted that England players who
have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist
abuse on social media.
“It has no
place in our country and I back the police to hold those responsible
accountable,” she wrote on Twitter.
However,
both have repeatedly stopped short of criticising fans who booed England
players for taking the knee in a stand against racism. Patel has also said
taking the knee represents “gesture politics” and whether to boo the England
players was a “choice” for fans to make.
As the
players were subjected to a barrage of online abuse, a Tory MP had to apologise
for suggesting Rashford should have concentrated on football rather than
“playing politics” in an apparent reference to his campaign for free school
meals.
Natalie
Elphicke, the Tory MP for Dover and Deal, made the comment in a WhatsApp
message to fellow MPs, suggesting Rashford should not have spent time on his
successful campaign for free school meals for low-income pupils in the school
holidays.
In comments
first reported by GB News, Elphicke said: “They lost – would it be ungenerous
to suggest Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less
time playing politics.”
Labour
seized on the message, with Rayner saying Elphicke had been “sneering at an
inspirational player who stepped up to feed hungry kids when [Tory MPs] voted
to leave them without food”.
“Whether
it’s their failure to support the vulnerable, or booing our boys after they
have done our whole country proud, the nasty party is back,” she said. “The
question every Conservative MP needs to answer is – did they call out these
appalling comments?”
Elphicke
released an apology shortly afterwards. She said: “I applaud the England team
who gave their all in Euro 2020. Last night I shared the frustration and
heartbreak of millions of other England fans.
“I regret
messaging privately a rash reaction about Marcus Rashford’s missed penalty and
apologise to him for any suggestion that he is not fully focused on his
football.
“Onwards to
the World Cup and I look forward to Marcus Rashford’s contribution at that time.”
Responding
to Elphicke’s message, her fellow Tory MP Simon Hoare said: “Would it be
ungenerous? Yes. Unwarranted? Yes. Wrong? Yes.”
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