These Tory MPs criticised England players for taking the knee and now they’re glad ‘it’s coming home’

Football may be coming home this Sunday when England faces Italy in the Euro 2020 final but another thing that has made its way home throughout the tournament is an angry culture war.

This time the battle is a clash between some bemoaning that English players take the knee at the start of matches as a sign of respect for the Black Lives Matter movement, and others who think it is right they make this gesture as a show of solidarity for this fighting racial injustice.

At the middle of this row have been Conservative MPs who have been asked to comment left, right and centre on the issue.

Here are a few who aren’t a fan of taking the knee but still want England to win this Sunday:

Priti Patel

The Home Secretary has faced some pretty strong backlash for calling taking the knee “gesture politics” but also making ‘gestures’ of support to the England team.

In an interview with GB News last month, she dodged a question on whether she would boo the Three Lions, as some ‘fans’ of the sides have done when they’ve taken the knee.

“That’s a choice for them, quite frankly,” she said.

And so, every time she has celebrated an England win people have called her out for appearing disingenuous.

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of England, and his wife, Carrie Johnson, are seen prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Semi-final match between England and Denmark at Wembley The FA via Getty Images

Johnson would not take the knee, he has said. “I do not believe in gestures,” he told LBClast year. However, a spokesperson for the PM has said he does not want fans to boo footballers who take the knee.

Johnson doesn’t like gestures but he has posed with a giant England flag and turned up to the semi-final wearing England kit over a shirt and tie.

Make of that what you will.

Jacob Rees Mogg

Prime Minister’s QuestionsPA Media

Rees Mogg is no fan of taking the knee. Why? “I think it’s become problematic,” he said on his podcast hosted by Conservative Home.

“The symbol of taking the knee has become associated with the BLM [Black Lives Matter] movement and that is where the controversy becomes very apparent and very stark.

“The BLM movement is a Marxist movement that wants to do things like defund the police and is not sympathetic to our current civil structures.

“I think [fans] are booing the BLM movement – I think that’s quite clearly a reaction to what is now known about BLM and the underlying political message which is one that is not sympathetic to the United Kingdom as a nation”.

Yesterday, he recited lines rapped by footballer John Barnes in the song ‘World In Motion’ in the Commons to show his excitement about England winning the semi-final game against Denmark.

Safe to say, people found that particular gesture pretty embarrassing.

Andrew Bridgen

Never one to shy away from controversy, Bridgen has embroiled himself in the drama too. He recently tweeted: “England footballers are encouraged to take the knee, the symbol of the divisive & Marxist BLM group, but not allowed to display poppies on their shirts in support of our veterans and those serving in our armed forces, and they wonder why the crowd voiced their protestations.”

Following the tweet, Edleen John, the FA’s head of diversity wrote a letter to him saying the squad “benefits from being at their best” and “need the country to be behind them”.

Bridgen replied: “It appears that you not only object to your paying supporters and the public voicing their opinion on your controversial actions but also elected MPs.

“I’m afraid I don’t respond positively to attempts at coercion.”

Whether he is watching the game closely or switching over to Love Island instead, we don’t know.

Lee Anderson

Taking things just one step further is Lee Anderson who said he would be boycotting the tournament over the gesture. Writing on Facebook, the MP who represents Ashfield in Nottinghamshire triggered backlash and ridicule in equal measure when he said that the FA and England team had “made a big mistake” by taking the knee and claimed that they ran the risk of “having nothing in common with their traditional supporters”.

“For the first time in my life I will not be watching my beloved England team whilst they are supporting a political movement whose core principles aim to undermine our very way of life,” he announced.

And in doing so he has ensured that after every game, people on social media ask him if he feels he is missing out, and journalists ring him to find out what he’s up to.

Now, the Labour Party have started a campaign to ensure he keeps to his word and Anderson has said he will spend the final “unpacking boxes” as he has recently moved house. Nevertheless, he told LBC that he will be: “cheering them on, I’ll be checking my phone for updates and scores”.

Rather him than us.