Reform MP Suella Braverman slams FA coaching diversity aims: ‘Utter woke nonsense’

The Football Association‘s ambition to have at least 25 per cent of England men’s coaching staff from a non-white background by 2028 has been branded “utter woke nonsense” by Reform MP Suella Braverman.

Ms Braverman, who recently defected from the Conservatives, has formally written to FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, demanding the governing body scrap the target.

This diversity goal, which aims for a quarter of coaches across all England men’s age levels to be from black, Asian, mixed, or other ethnic backgrounds, forms a key part of the FA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for 2024 to 2028, with a more ambitious stretch target set at 30 per cent.

In a Reform statement Braverman said the approach was “utter woke nonsense” and “fundamentally flawed, inherently racist and bad for the game”.

She has requested a meeting with Bullingham, and has suggested replacing the policy with a simple new principle entitled The Best Person for the Job.

Braverman wrote: “The FA has led the fight to kick racism out of football, a mission I utterly support.

“There is no place for discrimination of any kind in our national game. Yet your DEI strategy does precisely that, it divides rather than unites.

“It replaces merit with quotas and implements identity politics where teamwork, ability and hard graft should prevail.”

The FA has been contacted for comment.

At the time the strategy was launched, Bullingham said: “Through our new strategy, we will work with our partners across football to boost representation, drive inclusion and tackle discrimination at all levels of our game.

“We have seen how the power of football can bring communities together and celebrate diversity, and we want to continue to use our influence to deliver positive and lasting change that we can all be proud of.”

Kick It Out’s former chief executive Tony Burnett told the Press Association in 2023: “Football is one of the last bastions of the old boys’ network, to be absolutely frank.

“When you look at the representation across football, what’s really clear is there is a myth of meritocracy.”

A report from the Black Footballers Partnership in March 2023 found the number of management-related positions held by black employees rose by eight in 2022 compared with the previous year, from 49 among 1,338 individuals (3.7 per cent) to 57 individuals out of 1,304 in 2023 (4.4 per cent).

Kick It Out is continuing to push for the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to ensure that EDI is central to the code of governance clubs adopt under its licensing regime.