A petition has surfaced online calling for a lifetime ban for all racists from football matches in England.
At almost 1 million signatures, it's already near to becoming one of the most-signed petitions on Change.org.
Clearly, its message has struck a chord with the nation following an increase in racist abuse against both players and civilians following England's loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday night.
After Luke Shaw scored an early goal for the English team just 1 minute and 37 seconds into the match, play slowed with Italy clawing it back to a draw in the second half before ultimately the game went to penalties.
Youngsters Bukayo Saka, 19, Marcus Rashford, 23, and Jadon Sancho, 21, were all put up to take shots - but all three sadly missed.
This agonising loss on penalties led to an outpouring of grief from football supporters online. In a number of abhorrent and inexcusable instances, it also led to a number of racially motivated attacks that were carried out both online and in person.
The FA has condemned the "disgusting" behaviour, saying they will do "all we can to support the players affected". It also added it would push for the "toughest punishments possible" for anyone responsible.
A number of official figures, including members of the government like Priti Patel and Boris Johnson, also made statements condemning the racist behaviour of fans.
However, some have suggested that previous comments by top Conservative politicians in the lead up to the final - particularly those that refused to condemn the booing of footballers taking the knee, branding the move "gesture politics" - had "stoked the flames" of tension in the country ahead of the final.
On Monday 12, Labour's Angela Rayner pointed the finger at top Tories who stoked division over the knee protest - replying to a tweet from Ms. Patel after the Home Secretary took to Twitter to claim she was "disgusted that England players who have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist abuse on social media".
"Let me be clear. The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary gave license to the racists who booed the England players and are now racially abusing England players," replied Rayner.
"Boris Johnson and Priti Patel are like arsonists complaining about a fire they poured petrol on. Total hypocrites."
The Change.org petition, entitled ‘Ban racists for life from all football matches in England’, was set up by anti-racism campaigner Shaista Aziz and her friends under the name of the Three Hijabis.
Directed at Boris Johnson and his Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, the petition states:
"After last night’s match, vile racist abuse was directed at our heroic players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho. Minutes after the final whistle of the Euro final, The Football Association issued a statement which said: “We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team.
"We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.
"As multi-racial football fans, we finally feel represented by this anti-racist and inclusive England team. We could not be more proud or inspired by our magnificent team and by their talent, bravery, leadership and love for all. Gareth Southgate’s England team plays for ALL of us.
"Their vision is an inclusive vision and this matters more than EVER - it’s why we feel proud of this team and why they’re so cherished and loved by many of us. There should be no room for racists and bigotry in football or society.
"We are calling for the Football Association and the government to work together now to ban all those who have carried out racist abuse, online or offline, from all football matches in England for life.
"Our England team stood up for all of us - now we must stand up for them."
At the time of writing the petition is currently at 891,840 signatures. To add yours and show your support, click here.
News
Beloved late night Leeds cocktail bar The Maven announces permanent closure
"After years of late nights, strong cocktails, and incredible stories; The Maven will close its doors"
It's a sad day for the Leeds night life scene, as a beloved speakeasy bar has today announced that it will be closing its doors for good.
The Maven has been a firm favourite for many years with those looking to enjoy some experimental and expertly made cocktails.
Hidden behind an unassuming door at the top of Call Lane, it was a great spot to visit if you were looking for something that little bit special.
Announcing the news to their social media, The Maven said: "From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for being our guests over the years and promise that until then, we'll do our best to give you the best nights out on Call Lane."
The Government wants the public to help decide if children should be banned from social media
Emily Sergeant
Should there be a minimum age to access social media? Should children be banned all together? The Government is asking the public to help decide.
In case you missed it earlier last month, the Government announced a social media crackdown in a bid to keep children safe amid rapid technology changes – with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying he was looking to take ‘immediate action’ to make the online world safer for young people.
The new measures announced included a crackdown on ‘vile’ illegal content created by AI, as well as ‘fast action’ to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.
It was also hinted at that setting a minimum age limit for social media – which Australia famously became the first country to do so last year – could be on the cards, and also the restricting of other harmful features like infinite scrolling.
The Prime Minister insisted that ‘no platform gets a free pass’.
And now, it’s your turn – parents, guardians, and young people across the UK are being urged to shape the country’s next steps on children’s digital wellbeing, as the Government has today (2 March 2026) opened what is said to be the the world’s most ambitious consultation on social media.
The consultation will aim to gather insights from the public on how to keep children safe online across social media, AI chatbots, and gaming platforms.
The Government has launched a consultation on banning social media for children / Credit: Julian Christ (via Unsplash)
“Millions of parents across the country worry about what social media is doing to their children’s sleep, concentration, and mental health,” the Government said in a announcing the launch of the consultation.
Many parents and campaign groups have called for an outright ban on social media for under-16s, however, others – including leading children’s charities like UNICEF – have warned that a blanket ban could drive children towards ‘less regulated’ corners of the internet, or leave teenagers unprepared for when they do come online.
This is why the Government says its consultation ‘looks beyond a ban’ and instead covers a full range of options – from curfews, to the impact of chatbots and gaming.
It also asks the questions about how any new rules would work in practice, in a bid to make sure they are effective.
On the social media side of things, three main questions are being posed in the consultaion:
Should there be a minimum age for social media, and if so, what age would be right?
Should platforms be required to switch off addictive features that keep children hooked late into the night – like infinite scrolling and autoplay?
And whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better, and what age they should apply to?
Speaking on the launch of the consultation today, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Technology is fundamentally changing childhood. Used well, it can open up new opportunities for learning, creativity and connection, but only if we get the balance right.
“That is why we want to hear directly from parents, teachers and young people about how we strike that balance and give children the very best childhood in a digital age.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall added: “We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.
“This is why we’re asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.”
The consultation is now live, and you can have your say here.
Georgina Pellant -
13th July 2021 
