Online racist abuse will lead to football ban
Boris Johnson last night confirmed plans to extend the football banning regime to cover online racism.
It came as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer confronted Mr Johnson in a heated Prime Minister’s Questions, claiming he was giving racism the "green light".
The Prime Minister promised to ban people guilty of sending racist abuse to footballers from attending matches, adding that the government was taking “practical steps” to ensure those responsible for abuse would be barred from matches.
Sir Keir Starmer has accused the UK government of being on the “wrong side of the culture war” as Boris Johnson confirmed plans to extend the football banning regime to cover online racism.
The labour leader confronted Mr Johnson in a heated Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday and claimed he was giving racism the "green light".
It came in a confrontation that saw the Prime Minister promise to ban people guilty of sending racist abuse to footballers from attending matches.
Mr Johnson said the UK government was taking “practical steps” to ensure those responsiblefor the sort of abuse aimed at marcus rash ford,ja don sanc ho andBu kay oS aka would be barred from matches.
Speaking in the aftermath of the trio of England players being racially abused following the nation’s Euro 2020 final defeat to italy, sirkeir demanded answers over Mr Johnson’s lack of support for taking a knee.
He said: “We could all see what’s happened here – the government has been trying to stoke a culture war and they’ve realised they’re on the wrong side, and now they’re hoping nobody has noticed.
“Why else would a Conservative MP boast that he’s not watching his own team?
"Why else would another cons er vat iv eM P say that Marcus Rash ford 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?”
Mr Johnson insisted the UK Government was taking practical steps to ban racists from football. He said: “We stick up for them and what we’re doing is taking practical steps to fight racism – changing the football banning regime, fining the online companies, and we will use more legislation if we have to – just as we used the threat of legislation to stop the european Super League.
“I don’t want to engage in a political culture war of any kind, I want to get on with delivering for the people of this country.”
Sir Keir then challenged Mr Johnson over his own comments and claimed the problem of racism was rife throughout the Conservative party.
He continued: “On 7 June the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said this: ‘On taking the knee specifically, the Prime Minister is more focused on actions rather than gestures ’.
"On 14 June, the home secretary said: ‘I just don’t support people participating in that type of gesture politics’.
“So there’s no point pretending that these things weren’t
said. The England footballer Tyrone Mings … he said this labelling anti-racism messages as gesture politics served to stoke the fire of racism and hatred–prime minister, they’ re powerful words from someone
who has himself been subjected to racist abuse. He’s right, isn’t he?
“Football’s a game, racism isn’t, Prime Minister.
"That’s why many of us have been involved in the charity
Show Racism the Red Card for years. But far from giving racism the red card, the Prime Minister gave it the green light."