Never walk off alone

LET’S HEAL WOUNDS OF BREXIT All must back players’ fight against racism

But that is all Wiltshire police are spending on the cold case review of double killer Christopher Halliwell.

And we only know that because the Sunday People successfully appealed against a decision not to tell us.

To put that £40,000 figure into perspective a retired detective told us he spent £700,000 on one dig alone.

Clearly the amount allocated is not enough and we wonder how serious Wiltshire police are about this investigation.

Claudia’s mum Joan is right to be angry.

But then neither do we blame senior officers for being extra careful with their money.

Police budgets have been cut by a fifth since the Tories came to power in 2010 which means forces have to prioritise – just as the NHS must do.

Boris Johnson promises to replace the 20,000 police officers lost under David Cameron and Theresa May and we welcome that.

But he also has to ensure that those officers and the forces they join are adequately funded to do the work we are asking of them.

No one should have to go through the awful experience of not knowing what has happened to a loved one.

That is the cross that Joan Lawrence has to bear every day of her life.

We know that our police are ready and willing to see justice done.

But they need the resources to do it.

OVER recent decades, while the methods of abuse may have changed, racism is still very much present in sport. It rears its ugly head at matches across the world.

We would not stand for racism or any other form of discrimination in our workplaces, so why should our young footballers put up with it any longer?

Just last weekend, Haringey Borough players walked off the pitch during their FA Cup qualifier against Yeovil Town after goalkeeper, Douglas Pajetat, was allegedly subjected to racist abuse, spitting and bottle-throwing.

Salutes

Sadly, it’s clear this is not a one-off. Enough is enough.

The week before, we witnessed horrific racist abuse aimed at England players in their match against Bulgaria, which caused the match to be halted on two occasions.

Photos and clips followed of fans performing Nazi salutes and racist chanting continued.

It is utterly unacceptable.

Players such as Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham who speak out on this issue are an asset to our country.

The pressure and responsibility on their shoulders is immense as it is – and it is disgraceful that, in 2019, young players must also contend with how they react to racist abuse from the stands.

Strong leadership is vital to support our young players and Gareth Southgate deserves credit for standing shoulder to shoulder with his players.

By announcing that England’s

WHERE to even start with Brexit? Each day it seems the Government creates an entirely new set of rules, changing what we debate by the minute.

The Queen’s Speech – remember that? It was a contentious two weeks but was soon lost in Boris Johnson’s (notplayers are ready to walk off if they are racially abused, it sends the message to all clubs about how they can support their players.

Nobody should feel alone or have to act in isolation if they suffer racist abuse.

It is crucial to tackle racism in football once and for all – this is wider than just the game and it also impacts people’s views in wider society.

It is crucial to change people’s attitudes, not just give out arbitrary so-merry) Brexit merry-go-round. If he continues to push for a general election it won’t be a “merry” Christmas either.

Whichever side of the Brexit fence you sit on, you’ll agree that our country is damaged with division and it’s being fuelled by anger and a distinct punishments. I asked the Government to outline the steps they are taking to address the scourge of racism in football.

Boris Johnson’s words on this matter leave a bad taste in the mouth, given he refuses to apologise for his own racist comments – he even defended them just earlier this year.

The Government must get their own house in order, otherwise, how can anyone believe the Prime Minister is calling out racism with any sincerity? lack of trust. Boris Johnson continues to push a bad deal while threatening us with a harmful no-deal Brexit.

What happens when a country cannot put trust in its leaders to want the best for the people?

Our country needs to heal.

His words are empty. On the pitch, sportsmen and women need to know they have allies up and down the country. We must all publicly back our players when they take the brave position to walk off the pitch together in solidarity.

Without a doubt, in Westminster, they have an ally in me.

I would 100 per cent support any player or team if they decided to walk off the pitch in protest. We owe it to our society to make a stand.