In another stab in the back for English sports, we have seen a Government that unilaterally decided to block the England men’s football team from participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Football Association wasn’t notified about the withdrawal and the Qatari government wasn’t directly notified about the changes the UK Government wants to see. We have seen Government ministers suggest that members who oppose the boycott support slavery and we have seen Government ministers say that the Conservative Party doesn’t care about slavery in Qatar.

This all precedes the latest installment in this whole saga, the Transport Secretary publicly voicing his disagreement with the Government’s decision to withdraw the England men’s football team from the World Cup. “For all [the Government’s] talk of supporting communities, little have we done to help these pillars of the community,” the Transport Secretary even said. “We must do better, now more than ever, for our clubs and for our communities.”

The Transport Secretary is right to say that the Government needs to do better, especially on this issue. The Government’s decision harms the national football team, through this decision they made sure that the England men’s football team cannot compete in the 2022 and 2026 World Cup and the plans to host the 2030 World Cup can be thrown in the bin, as FIFA punished the Football Association for something that they didn’t do. The prize money that the FA will miss because of this, already £20 million for just competing in the group stage, will have its effects on all levels in English football, not just for the national team. After banning people from buying rounds for their friends in pubs, the Government once more stabs the English people in the back.

The open disagreement of the Transport Secretary on this issue is another showing of the Transport Secretary breaking CCR, as they did in the past on HS3, which was followed by a motion of no confidence in the Transport Secretary, only after a motion and some pushing by Government members in the House they delivered on the Government’s promise to deliver HS3. Now they did it again, but now by openly defying the Foreign Secretary. The Transport Secretary broke CCR twice within a few months, if they don’t agree with the Government on these issues they have two choices: take the policies and don’t voice your real opinion or leave the Government. I urge the Transport Secretary to do the latter.

The Foreign Secretary said that the UK Government will talk with the devolved governments on their participation in this boycott. Because of this, I hope that the Scottish and Welsh Governments will act responsibly and allow their national teams to go to the 2022 FIFA World Cup if they qualify in March.