Euro 2020: Labour petition urges 'jinxed' MP to continue England football match boycott

Labour has launched a petition urging a Conservative MP to continue his boycott of the England Euro football matches.

Lee Anderson says he has refused to watch England's games due to the team taking the knee at each game.

The MP says the act is a political gesture with which he disagrees.

Labour's tongue-in-cheek petition argues Mr Anderson, who was born in 1967, has "jinxed" English football, saying he needs keep up his boycott to ensure a home win at Wembley on Sunday.

• What's taking the knee and why is it a Euro 2020 issue?

• Stem cell donor given tickets to Euro 2020 final

• Why some fans say they boo England for taking the knee

The form, shared on social media, says: "Sulky Tory MP Lee Anderson hasn't been cheering England's heroes like the rest of us because he doesn't like their simple act of anti-racism.

"Reaching our first final since before he was born is such a great feeling - but it's not enough.

"We want to finish the job on Sunday.

"So we're saying: Anderson, stay away, do the housework, watch Midsomer Murders, anything and keep up your pathetic one-man boycott for one more game."

Downing Street decorated ahead of the Euros final on Sunday

Defending his decision on Facebook earlier in the week, Mr Anderson said: "I don't like the taking the knee business, I think it associates with the Black Lives Matter movement - I know the England players don't think it does but it does, it does to me.

"But that's their choice to take the knee and it's my choice not to watch the matches."

He said he hoped the England team win their match against Italy in the Euro finals on Sunday and would be checking his phone to check the score.

"I've had a bit of a torrid week actually, lots of emails, a bit of abuse - but that's normal - about my decision not to watch the England matches," he added.

Taking the knee

American footballer Colin Kaepernick starting kneeling before games in 2016 to protest against police violence towards African-Americans.

The act has since become a prominent symbol in sport and during protests, and England players have been taking the knee at the start of their matches in the Euros tournament.

England vice-captain Jordan Henderson said: "As players, we've made it very clear that we'll all stand together against racism and that is the reason that we'll continue to take the knee and have done over the last few weeks."

And the team manager Gareth Southgate said: "I think we have got a situation where some people seem to think it is a political stand that they don't agree with. That is not the reason the players are doing it - we are supporting each other."