Daily Express

CROUCH DEFENDS TAKING THE KNEE

- JOHN CROSS

TRACEY CROUCH has turned on members of her own party in the row over England stars taking the knee.

Conservati­ve MP Lee Anderson was one of several to speak out against the anti-racism protest, describing it as a “political movement”.

But Crouch, the Tory MP and former sports minister, who is leading a Government review into football, said: “I know I’m talking about my own side here, but the level of abuse that the players get is phenomenal. “The only gesture they have which shows they want to stand up against this level of abuse is to take the knee. They have collective­ly discussed it as a group of young men and agreed to do that and I just think, ‘Why are my colleagues saying this is a political movement?’

“Instead of investing their time and energy criticisin­g young men that are victims of racial hatred, do something in Parliament to stop them from being abused in the first place.

“The Home Secretary has the power now to change legislatio­n to make racism in football a particular hate crime, so instead of criticisin­g players for standing up for themselves, change the legislatio­n to stop it from happening.

“It’s nothing to do with a culture war. It’s to do with racism.”

 ??  ?? GESTURE: England forward Phil Foden
GESTURE: England forward Phil Foden

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