Dangerous couldn’t give a toss
BY BEN GLAZE SIR Geoffrey Boycott has said he “couldn’t give a toss” about the furious reaction to his knighthood.
The controversial former England cricketer was on the resignation honours list compiled by former prime minister Theresa May, who is a longtime fan.
But there were calls for the commentator to be stripped of the honour because of his 1998 conviction for beating his then girlfriend.
Boycott, 78, defiantly said that the incident was “25 years ago” as he responded to his critics yesterday.
But Spice Girls star Mel B branded him “a disgrace to Yorkshire”, adding: “Perpetrators of domestic abuse shouldn’t be held up as heroes EVER.”
The singer, 44, has claimed to be a victim of domestic violence, accusing ex-husband Stephen Belafonte of giving her “multiple physical beatings” in 2017 US court papers. Belafonte has strenuously denied the allegations.
In 1998, Boycott was convicted of punching Margaret Moore at a hotel in the south of France in October 1996. The French court gave him a three-month suspended sentence and £5100 fine but he still protests his innocence.
May was lauded for introducing the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill earlier this year – which has now stalled following Parliament’s prorogation.
But she is now accused of betraying victims by recognising Boycott in her awards list. Shadow minister for women and equalities, Dawn Butler, said: “Honouring a perpetrator of domestic violence just because he is the former prime minister’s favourite sportsman shows how out of touch and nepotistic the honours list is. Boris Johnson should rescind his knighthood.”
Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts added: “Why honour an unrehabilitated chauvinist while your Domestic Abuse Bill remains lost in prorogation limbo?” Women’s Aid’s Adina Claire said May sent a “dangerous message” that “domestic abuse is not taken seriously”.
But asked about her comments on BBC Radio 4, Boycott told host Martha Kearney: “I don’t care a toss about her, love. It’s 25 years ago, so you can take your political nature and do whatever you want with it. You want to talk about my knighthood, it’s nice of you to have me. But I couldn’t give a toss.”
Women’s Aid called for a “Boycott Boycott” campaign after his response.
He caused controversy in 2017 after suggesting that he would need to “black me face” to get a knighthood, saying gongs were given to West Indian cricketers “like confetti”. Johnson said of yesterday’s row: “That is a matter for the former
prime minister.”