Priti Patel, a politician who doesn’t want to get political?
The subject of booing fans at football matches has divided the nation in recent weeks. Some people say that football should not be political, but others are convinced it acts as a unified front against racism.
Booing used to be confined to Britains got Talent and Casper the Ghost, but it has been an enormous topic of conversation in recent weeks. England boss Gareth Southgate says his squad will continue to take the knee – highlighting their push for racial equality – before games at Euro 2020, despite the booing chorus from a small minority of fans.
Home Secretary Priti Patel, who seems to have an opinion on literally everything, has unsurprisingly criticised the kneeling.
“I just don’t support people participating in that type of gesture – gesture politics, to a certain extent, as well,” she told the infant news station GB news.
The Home Secretary Priti Patel has said those involved in taking the knee are participating in “gesture politics” and when asked if England fans had a right to boo she responded saying “that's a choice for them, quite frankly” pic.twitter.com/TCx4Jiuq1Q
— GB News (@GBNEWS) June 14, 2021
“It’s all well to support a cause and make your voices heard. But actually, quite frankly, and we saw quite frankly in particular as some of the protests that took place – I speak now very much from what I saw in the impact on policing – it was devastating.
“Not only that, I just don’t subscribe to this view that we should be rewriting our history – pulling down statues, the famous Colston statue, and what’s happened there.
“Toppling statues is not the answer, it’s about learning from our past, learning from our history and actually working together to drive the right outcome.”
Asked if some England supporters that choose to boo players taking a knee before Euro 2020 games, Patel said, “Well, that’s a choice for them, quite frankly.”
Patel was then asked if she would boo, were she attending an England game, she replied, “I’ve not gone to a football match to even contemplate that.”
Staggering does not even cover the half of it.
