Boris Johnson will urge social media firms to take tougher action over racism in a meeting today after the abuse of England football players, which he described as being “from the dark spaces of the internet”.
Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka have been the target of racist hate online after England’s defeat in the Euro 2020 final, which saw all three players miss penalties.
While ministers have condemned the abuse, England football star Tyrone Mings has accused Priti Patel of “stoking the fire” by criticising the team for taking the knee against racism as “gesture politics”.
Meanwhile, a long-brewing Tory rebellion over the government’s £4bn foreign aid cuts will come to a head in the Commons today as MPs are granted a crucial vote – after weeks of dismissal by Downing Street – on whether to reverse the cuts in January, with Sir Keir Starmer among those warning that failure to defeat the government on Tuesday would make the cuts “not temporary but indefinite”.
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Downing Street reception for England players ‘shelved’, journalist reports
Plans to host England’s players at Downing Street this week have been “shelved”, according to The Guardian’s political correspondent.
Downing Street is yet to respond to a request for comment from The Independent and no other outlets have yet confirmed the report.
On LBC, host Shelagh Fogarty asked Tory MP Simon Hoare whether No 10 had “bottled it”.
While unable to shine any further light on the matter, Mr Hoare said he feared that any “misinterpretation” that the government only rolls out the red carpet in the event of total victory would send “the most frightful message” to young people that “if you don’t win, don’t bother taking part”.
The abuse of black players has been fuelled by some politicians who had “in effect encouraged fans to boo the national team”, according to the former chair of the government’s Race Disparity Unit’s advisory group, Lord Woolley of Woodford.
Ban online racists from football grounds for life, former FA chair says
Racists who abused England players online should be given a lifetime ban from football grounds nationwide if convicted, a former Football Association chairman has said,
Pressing for a “one strike and they are out” approach, Lord Triesman told parliament there should be “no excuses, no second chances”.
He was among a number of peers at Westminster to condemn the racial hatred directed on social media at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka Euro 2020 final.
Digital, culture, media and sport minister Baroness Barran said the government was aware that football banning orders (FBOs) – which currently last a maximum of 10 years – can have “a great effect on those implicated and it is one of the things we are looking at”.
Government’s conditions for reversing foreign aid cuts ‘will never be met’, says Tory MP
A Conservative MP has warned the conditions proposed by the government for reversing its foreign aid cuts – said to have assuaged more than a dozen Tory rebels – “will never be met”.
The Treasury has pledged to recommit to previous levels of foreign aid contributions once Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts indicate underlying UK debt is falling and the country is not borrowing for day-to-day spending.
But Andrew Mitchell warned: “This is no compromise at all. It is a fiscal trap for the unwary.
“It is quite possible that these conditions will never be met, and you don’t need to look in the crystal ball, you can read the book. It is indisputably the case that there has only been one occasion in the last two decades, in 2001, when these conditions would have been met.”
Boris Johnson is to host social media representatives at Downing Street to discuss online abuse.
Representatives from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are expected, alongside those from TikTok, Snapchat, Microsoft and Amazon Kids UK, according to No 10.
PM ‘opened Cabinet meeting by condemning racist attacks on England players’, Downing Street says
According to his spokesman, Boris Johnson began a meeting of his Cabinet today by condemning the racist attacks England players were targeted with after the Euro final.
“He said the abuse was utterly disgraceful and had emerged from the dark spaces of the internet,” the prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters.
“He said he would use today’s meeting with social media firms to reiterate the urgent need for action ahead of tougher laws coming into force through the Online Harms Bill.”
The spokesman added that social media companies should “do everything they can to identify these people”, including handing over details of those who posted racist content.
Theresa May ‘to defy three-line whip for first time in nearly 25 years’ over foreign aid
Here’s more detail from Theresa May’s attempt to use her clout and insight as former prime minister to urge fellow Tories to rebel against her successor in Downing Street.
“I have been in this House for nearly a quarter of a century,” Ms May told MPs. “During that time I have never voted against a three-line whip from my party.
“As prime minister I suffered at the hands of rebels, I know what it is like to see party colleagues voting against their government.”
But she added: “We made a promise to the poorest people in the world. The government has broken that promise. This motion means that promise may be broken for years to come.”
Foreign aid cuts could be ‘indefinite’ if government wins crucial vote, Starmer warns
Tory rebels and Sir Keir Starmer have warned that failure to defeat the government in a crucial Commons vote today could end forever the UK’s pledge to meet the United Nations target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid.
As our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports, Boris Johnson told MPs that plans set out by the Treasury would “provide certainty for our aid budget and an affordable path back to 0.7 per cent, while also allowing investment in other priorities, including the NHS, schools and the police”.
But the Labour leader warned that conditions set by Rishi Sunak meant the cut to 0.5 per cent would remain in place at least until the next election in 2024, meaning that the £4bn reduction in aid spending is “not temporary but indefinite”.
Theresa May to vote against government on foreign aid
Former prime minister Theresa May has said she will vote against Boris Johnson’s cuts to international aid plans today, accusing the government of “turning its back on some of the poorest people in the world”.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has the full story here:
Boris Johnson ‘called for nation to cheer and not to boo’, Downing Street says
Downing Street has defended Boris Johnson and Priti Patel after England star Tyrone Mings accused the home secretary of “stoking the fires” of racism.
“The prime minister called for the nation to get behind and support the players, to cheer and not boo, before England had played a game in the tournament,” Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said.
“The home secretary is working every day to clamp down on hate crime, racism and violence. There is no place for racism in this country and she is backing the police to hold those responsible for this abuse accountable.”
The spokesman also indicated that Mr Johnson would be comfortable with England footballers taking a knee at a No 10 reception if one was held for them, saying: “I think the prime minister made his feelings clear. People should feel free to show their respect and show how much they condemn racism in this country in any way that they choose.”
He added: “We are speaking to the FA about how best to celebrate and honour the work of the players and the coaching staff in that tournament.”
