PMQs: What did Boris Johnson say about the booing of England players?
- Published
England players taking the knee before their match against Czech Republic on 22 June
At Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson was asked by the Labour leader Keir Starmer whether he regretted "failing to condemn those who booed England players for standing up to racism".
Mr Johnson replied: "We made it absolutely clear that no-one should boo the England team".
Players and officials in football's Premier League started taking the knee to highlight racial inequality and discrimination.
England manager Gareth Southgate said his players decided to continue during Euro 2020 and said they felt "more determined than ever".
So, what did the PM say?
On 6 June, England players were booed by some fans at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium while taking the knee before playing Romania.
Asked about the booing the next day, the prime minister's spokesperson said Mr Johnson respected "people's rights to peacefully protest - in this case England's footballers" and said "he would want all England fans to be respectful in any football match".
Asked again about taking the knee, he said the prime minister was "more focused on action rather than gestures".
On 11 June, when the spokesperson was asked whether Mr Johnson would condemn the booing. He said he wanted to see everybody "cheer them on, not boo".
People have gathered at a mural of Marcus Rashford in Manchester after it was defaced following England's defeat on Sunday
On 12 June, the prime minister told reporters: "I disapprove of people booing the England team...I see no reason to do that."
The next day, a minority of fans at Wembley booed the players while they knelt before the Euro 2020 match against Croatia.
Mr Johnson was asked for his reaction to this at a press conference during the G7 summit in Cornwall. He did not mention booing, but said "everybody should cheer for England"., external
What about other ministers and MPs?
On 14 June, GB News ran an interview with the Home Secretary Priti Patel where she was asked about England players taking the knee.
She said she did not support people taking part in what she called "gesture politics".
When asked whether it was right for England fans to boo, she said "that's a choice for them quite frankly".
England defender Tyrone Mings has criticised Priti Patel's comments
During Prime Minister's Questions on 14 July, Mr Johnson also said "Nobody defends booing of the England side".
On 12 July, Conservative MP Gordon Henderson told Kent Online, external that he defended the right to boo players, even though he did not agree with those who do it, saying: "If people don't agree with footballers taking the knee, they should be able to boo."
He said racist abuse of England players on social media was "shocking" and "should be rooted out".
Several Conservative MPs, including Brendan Clarke-Smith, have spoken out against players taking the knee.
On 3 June, he called the protest a "ridiculous empty gesture",, external after some fans booed England players for doing it before playing Austria.
Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, went further. He decided to boycott the whole of the Euro 2020 competition in protest at the England team's decision to take the knee, because he said it showed support for a "political movement" and risked alienating "traditional supporters".
On 6 July, however, new Health Secretary Sajid Javid told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he wouldn't take the knee personally, but added: "I can understand why some players choose to do that. "
On booing, Mr Javid said: "What I don't understand...is those people in the crowd that then boo that or shout at the players for doing that. I think people should just respect others for expressing their views in a different way."
On 12 July, the Conservative MP Johnny Mercer tweeted , externalthat he was "very uncomfortable with the position we Conservatives are needlessly forcing ourselves into".
And another MP, Steve Baker has urged his party to back players taking the knee insisting they weren't calling to "defund the police" but were saying "we suffer racism".
