‘A fire they poured petrol on’: Boris Johnson and Priti Patel condemned over football racism ‘hypocrisy’

PM and home secretary gave ‘license to racists’, Labour alleges - after failing to back taking the knee

Boris Johnson and Priti Patel have been branded “hypocrites” for condemning the racist abuse of England’s footballers, after their previous stances on tackling racism.

Labour seized on the prime minister and the home secretary having failed to support the team taking the knee before games – alleging they had given “license to the racists”.

Sayeeda Warsi, the former Conservative party chairman, also accused her own party of reaping what it had sowed – pointing to its fighting of “culture wars”.

Former footballer Gary Neville accused Mr Johnson of having “promoted” racism, in his notorious newspaper article about Muslim women looking “like letterboxes”.

And England player Tyrone Mings hit out at the home secretary, suggesting that she was only “pretending” to be disgusted by the racism aimed at his fellow squad members.

“You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘gesture politics’ and then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens,” he wrote on Twitter.

Former England rugby international Ugo Monye echoed Mings’s comments. “You didn’t back our team or condemn anyone for booing a peaceful protest,” he told Ms Patel on Twitter. “You facilitated & validated anti social & racists behaviours during the tournament. The horse has bolted Priti”

The criticism came after the prime minister said England’s team should be “lauded as heroes, not racially abused”, tweeting: “Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.”

But, before the tournament, Mr Johnson initially refused to criticise fans booing the players for taking the knee, while Ms Patel supported their right to boo what she called “gesture politics”.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “Let me be clear. The prime minister and the home secretary gave license to the racists who booed the England players and are now racially abusing England players.

The pair were “like arsonists complaining about a fire they poured petrol on. Total hypocrites,” she tweeted.

Mr Neville, now a TV analyst, told Sky News: “When we get racist abuse after a football match at the end of a tournament, I expect it unfortunately because it exists.

“And it’s actually promoted by the prime minister, who called Muslim women letterboxes, said they look like letterboxes.”

Baroness Warsi said the Conservatives “need to think about our role in feeding this culture in our country”, she told the prime minister and home secretary.

“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.”

Baroness Warsi 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.”

Following England’s defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, police are investigating offensive and racist social media comments being directed towards players from an ethnic minority background

A third minister, education minister Gillian Keegan, also questioned taking the knee – which the team began after last year’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations – for “creating division”.

But Mr Neville said: “Accepting and validating that players who take the knee are promoting equality and inclusion and defending against racism – it’s coming from the very top.

“You know full well that if your parents do something, your children will follow.”

And he contrasted the leadership skills of England boss Gareth Southgate with Mr Johnson, saying they are “absolutely poles apart”, adding: “You can be a leader and a gentleman, you can be ruthless – but have empathy and compassion.”

But Mr Johnson’s spokesman rejected the criticism, saying: “The prime minister made clear he wanted people to be cheering the team, not booing them, before England played their first match, and you’ve seen his comments this morning condemning the horrible comments made on social media.”