Labour MPs are accused of deafening silence over booing of Prince William by Liverpool fans at FA Cup final

Labour MPs have been criticised for failing to condemn Liverpool football fans who booed Prince William and the National Anthem at the FA Cup final.

When contacted by the Daily Mail, none of the city’s MPs responded to requests for comment – a situation one Tory MP described as ‘disappointing but not surprising’.

There were jeers as the Duke of Cambridge, president of the Football Association, was introduced to Chelsea and Liverpool players before kick-off on Saturday afternoon.

As the prince and players sang God Save The Queen, a number of fans gesticulated and made obscene hand gestures.

After the match, the behaviour was condemned by leading figures including Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, and Tory MP and former culture secretary Karen Bradley.

But when contacted yesterday by the Daily Mail, none of Liverpool’s five Labour MPs – Maria Eagle, Kim Johnson, Dan Carden, Ian Byrne or Paula Barker – responded. Nor did Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, or Liverpool city mayor Joanne Anderson.

The Labour Party nationally issued no comment. Nor did the Football Association or Liverpool Football Club, who won the match on penalties.

Yet last year, Sir Keir Starmer condemned football fans who booed England players for taking the knee before Euro 2020 games in a Black Lives Matter-inspired gesture.

The Labour leader said at the time that booing was ‘wrong’ and accused Boris Johnson – who simply called on fans to ‘get behind the team’ – of lacking ‘the guts to call it out’.

Scott Benton, Tory MP for Blackpool South and a keen football fan, last night said the booing was ‘disgraceful’, adding: ‘The failure of any Liverpool Labour Party figures to condemn the booing is disappointing but not surprising.’

Fellow Lancashire Tory MP David Morris, who represents Morecambe and Lunesdale, said: ‘It’s disappointing that the bad behaviour of a small minority of fans was not called out by the elected representatives.

‘They represent the whole country and the National Anthem represents our national identity.’