Andrew Griffith has demanded Fifa take immediate action against the Argentinian football team after they paraded a banner claiming ownership of the Falklands following their defeat of England in last night’s World Cup semifinal.
Speaking to GB News, the Conservative Shadow Business Secretary called the stunt “completely unacceptable” and called on the governing body to hand out punishment before the end of the tournament.
The Three Lions suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat after Argentina’s ruthless last-minute comeback.
During celebrations of their triumph, Argentinian players flew a fan-made banner on the pitch that read in Spanish: “The Falkland Islands are Argentine.”
The “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” flag was paraded around the ground to the delight of fans from the South American nation.
Britain has long protected its claim over the South Atlantic archipelago, which was settled by explorers from the UK more than a century before Argentina existed as an independent state.
Argentina attempted to seize the islands in 1982, but was resoundingly defeated by a British task force in a two-month-long conflict.
“British lives were lost defending our sovereign territory, 255 sons and daughters, families that lost their loved ones,” Mr Griffith said, deploring the banner.
He slammed the player’s actions as “completely unacceptable” and reminded that “99 per cent of the Falkland Islanders have voted to remain British”.
In response to the stunt, the Tory Business Secretary called on Fifa to reprimand the Argentinians.
“This is against Fifa’s rules,” he insisted, demanding “action this day”.
“Fifa in the past have fined Britain for wearing poppies on their shirts. They’ve suspended Spanish players for calling for Gibraltar to be part of Spain.
“Whether it’s fines or suspensions, this cannot wait until the end of the tournament.
“It is incredibly important that they send that signal that this behaviour was unacceptable.
“Unfortunately, we lost on the night. But democracy and self-determination can’t be the losers,” Mr Griffith said.
The Tory MP also expressed concern that Labour’s approach to international relations had created an environment in which such irredentist claims could be made against Britain.
“I think this is what happens when you’ve got people like Keir Starmer and David Lammy going around talking about reparations and offering to pay the Mauritian to take Chagos off our hands.
“You open up that point of weakness,” Mr Griffith stressed.
Previously, GB News revealed there was also growing fear that Britain would be unable to provide the vital defence of the Falklands.
