Boris Johnson vows to ban online racists from football matches

Boris Johnson has promised to ban people guilty of sending racist abuse to footballers from attending matches.

The prime minister said he would ensure the 'football banning order regime is changed' to crack down on racism.

Labour has been calling for the law to be changed after England players were subject to abuse.

But Sir Keir Starmer said the PM's promise to take action 'rings hollow' after his previous refusal to condemn fans who booed players taking the knee.

An online petition calling for the FA and the government to ban those who have carried out racist abuse to be banned for life has reached over a million signatures.

A Football Banning Order is used to ban someone from attending matches for a set period of time, and can be imposed for offences such as throwing missiles onto the playing area or into the crowd, and racist or indecent chanting at a match.

At a stormy Prime Minister's Questions, the Labour leader said: "We could all see what's happened here - the government has been trying to stoke a culture war and they've realised they're on the wrong side, and now they're hoping nobody has noticed.

"Why else would a Conservative MP boast that he's not watching his own team?

"Why else would another Conservative MP say that Marcus Rashford spends too much time playing politics when he's actually trying to feed children that the government won't? And why will the prime minister refuse time and time again - even now - to condemn those who boo our players for standing up against racism?"

The prime minister said: "Nobody defends booing the England side."