Sir Keir Starmer has accused the government of having tried “to stoke a culture war” and realising it is “on the wrong side” during a fiery session of PMQs in the aftermath of the Euro 2020 final.
With the Conservatives Against Racism For Equality (CARFE) group’s co-founder Albie Amonkona, having warned that MPs’ actions may have “laid the foundations” for the racist abuse experienced by England players after the match, Steve Baker urged all of his Tory colleagues to urgently “challenge” their attitude towards taking the knee in an expression of solidarity against racism.
The influential Tory MP suggested such criticisms were “a wake-up call to the Conservative Party of just how powerful our words are when navigating these issues”.
It came as a damning Runnymede Trust report warned that Boris Johnson’s government is in breach of a UN treaty designed to eradicate racial discrimination, with ministers’ new approach to equalities possibly set to “worsen” the existing disparities faced by ethnic minority groups across health, the criminal justice system, education, employment and immigration in England.
Speaker ‘personally resolves’ lack of Black MPs in debate on racist abuse
Earlier today, Labour’s shadow equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova had expressed her dismay at the fact there were no Black MPs on the call list to speak during an urgent question on racist abuse online.
Ms de Cordova later said she was “pleased that Mr Speaker has personally resolved the situation”.
Tory MP wrongly calls Gareth Southgate England ‘captain’
While answering an urgent question about racist abuse footballers are facing on social media following Wednesday’s PMQs, Ms Atkins mistook the England manager for a player.
“I’d like to conclude this statement with the words of our England captain Gareth Southgate,” the Tory MP said.
Watch: Tory MP wrongly calls Gareth Southgate England ‘captain’
Conservative MP Victoria Atkins incorrectly referred to Gareth Southgate as “England captain” in the House of Commons.While answering an urgent question about racist abuse footballers are facing on social media following Wednesday’s PMQs, Ms Atkins mistook the England manager for a player.“I’d like to conclude this statement with the words of our England captain Gareth Southgate,” she said, before quoting the Three Lions coach. Ms Atkins was standing in for Priti Patel to answer questions as the home secretary was absent from the Commons due to a “long-standing meeting with charities.”
John Rentoul: Boris Johnson is on the wrong side of his own ‘culture war’ and he knows it
Giving his verdict on today’s PMQs bout, our chief political commentator John Rentoul writes:
“I haven’t seen Boris Johnson look so uncomfortable in Prime Minister’s Questions for at least a year. Keir Starmer took him apart over his inconsistent position on England players taking the knee, and the prime minister didn’t like it one bit.”
“Public opinion has swung round in support of footballers protesting against racism, while those who booed, and those who refused to condemn those who booed, have put themselves on the wrong side of the culture war – the side of the racists who abused black players on social media after Sunday’s final.”
MPs condemn ‘Labour member’ heckle regarding Tyrone Mings
MPs have criticised a parliamentarian who shouted the words “Labour member” as Keir Starmer referenced Tyrone Mings during PMQs, with the England footballer having accused Priti Patel of “stoking the fire” of racism.
Boris Johnson asked if he feels ‘merest hint of shame’ over foreign aid cuts
John Nicolson of the SNP has asked if Boris Johnson feels the “merest hint of shame” over his government’s huge cuts to the foreign aid budget – which Labour warns are likely not temporary, but “indefinite”.
“Yesterday at the prime minister’s instigation, 333 Conservative members of this House including some of its wealthiest voted to deprive some of the world’s poorest children of clean water. Education for girls programmes guaranteed will be slashed, polio eradication teams too,” Mr Nicholson said.
“Most people go into politics to make the world a better place but the Prime Minister seems to be an exception. As he reads of the anguish his decision has caused and as the father of a young child, doesn’t he feel the merest hint of shame?”
The prime minister replied: “I think the people of this entire country should be immensely proud at what the UK is doing abroad, whether it is educating millions of girls, with an increase to support for female education, whether it is helping countries around the world to tackle climate change, with £11.6bn of investment, or helping refugees in Yemen or Syria or Ethiopia with £900m.”
He said the UK is spending £10bn a year “on overseas aid alone, to say nothing of what we’re doing with vaccines.”
Who won today’s PMQs? We’ve scored Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer
After foreign aid cuts, the relaxation of Covid rules and a row over taking the knee, Keir Starmer had plenty of ammunition to fire at the PM at PMQ’s today, writes my colleague Kate Plummer.
Read Kate’s analysis of the exchanges below:
Sian Berry quits Green Party leadership race in trans rights row
Sian Berry has quit the race to be the new Green Party leader in a row over trans rights and appointments to key party positions.
The current co-leader announced she would not fight to head the party outright in the autumn – following the resignation of Jonathan Bartley – laying bare an internal conflict.
Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick reports:
‘Truly extraordinary’ to claim Boris Johnson guilty of racism, minister claims
A government minister has claimed it would be “truly extraordinary” for Labour to claim that Boris Johnson was guilty of racism in a heated exchange in the House of Commons.
My colleague Adam Forrest has more below:
Brandon Lewis confirms de-facto amnesty on Troubles prosecutions
Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis confirmed proposals for a statute of limitations “to apply equally to all Troubles-related incidents”, telling the Commons: “We know that the prospect of the end of criminal prosecutions will be difficult for some to accept and this is not a position we take lightly.
“But we’ve come to the view that this is the best and only way to facilitate an effective information retrieval and provision process, and the best way to help Northern Ireland move further along the road to reconciliation.
“It is in reality a painful recognition of the very reality of where we are.”
My colleague Adam Forrest has more on this story below:
Priti Patel criticised by Labour for ‘not bothering to turn up’ to urgent question on racism
Labour has accused Priti Patel of “not even bothering” to appear for an urgent Commons question on the prevalence of racism on social media after abuse was directed at three black England footballers.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, also reiterated his call for both Boris Johnson and Ms Patel to apologise for failing to speak out against those who booed the national team as they took the knee in protest at racism.
Our politics correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the full report below:
