Some Tories’ condemnation of racist abuse of UK stars sounds hollow Scottish comment

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England players kneel ahead of a Euro 2020 game to protest racism (Photo: Mike Egerton / PA)

However, the comments of some within the Conservative Party, notably Boris Johnson, rang more than hollow.

After all, this is the same Boris Johnson who once wrote that the Queen was greeted by piccaninnies waving flags in Commonwealth countries and how, compared to Tony Blair, tribal warriors will all burst into watermelon smiles to see the big white chef land in his big white bird funded by British taxpayers.

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More recently, Home Secretary Priti Patel attacked the gestural policies of players kneeling momentarily before football games to protest racism and described boos from fans as a choice for them, rather than to condemn them. In addition, Conservative MP Lee Anderson boycotted the national team on the issue.

After Sunday night’s game, Tory MP Natalie Elphicke mocked Marcus Rashford, who campaigned effectively against food poverty and missed a penalty, asking if he wouldn’t be generous to suggest Rashford should have spend more time perfecting your game and less time playing politics.

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It was more than a little generous considering that he and other English players were the target of racists at the same time. Elphicke didn’t express any racist views, but she joined a chorus of critics that were full of them when she should have been side by side with him.

Presumably, Anderson and like-minded politicians agree with the anti-racist message of kneeling, just don’t like this particular tactic despite its harmless nature. The problem is that they join, even more than Elphicke, a chorus of racists. And there are far too many of the latter, as the social media reaction to elite athletes unable to prove themselves to be the best in Europe by the smallest margin possible has clearly shown.

No sane politician should be surprised that talking about piccaninnies and watermelon smiles, attacking anti-racist campaigns, and piling on the victims of racism can have real-world consequences.

What is most serious is that it brings comfort and help to racists; another is that it will move many voters away from a Conservative party that seems to embrace its reputation as a bad party.

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