Following the outcome of the football on Sunday evening and the public response to this, the Chairman of the Council, along with Political Group Leaders, the Portfolio Holder for Community Protection and the Chief Executive have come together to make the following collective statement on behalf of the Council.

It should also be noted that the Council reaffirmed its commitment to the Equalities Act in June 2020 and has appointed a Task & Finish Group to look at this area with a focus on race equality. The statement below will also be reiterated by the Chairman of the Council at its next meeting on 28 July 2021.

“We wish to congratulate the England men’s Football team for their success in reaching the final of the European Championships this year. Unfortunately, that is not the main reason for this statement. The racist response we have witnessed towards members of the England team has absolutely no place in our society.

“There is no place for discrimination of any kind and sadly the actions of the few have undermined what had been an exceptional tournament; bringing us all together in celebration as Britain moves towards the next milestone in fighting the pandemic. We collectively condemn unacceptable racist behaviour and look to the support from our communities in making the same commitment.

“This said, we look forward to more positive sporting events across the Country in 2022 with the Women’s Euro Championships and of course the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will see the Bowls, Para Bowls and road cycling hosted in this District. The Commonwealth Games Federation motto is Humanity, Equality, Destiny which is one we can all live by.”

• Councillor Neale Murphy, Chairman of the Council
• Councillor Andrew Day, Leader of the Council and Leader of the Warwick District Conservative Group
• Councillor Alan Boad, Leader of the Warwick District Liberal Democrat Group
• Councillor Ian Davison, Leader of the Warwick District Green Group
• Councillor Jonathan Nicholls, Leader of the Warwick District Labour Group
• Councillor Tony Heath, Leader of the Warwick District Whitnash Residents Association Group
• Councillor Judy Falp, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection
• Chris Elliott, Chief Executive, Warwick District Council