SIR Keir Starmer was branded a ‘pie snatcher’ after warning football fans to watch what they eat to help the beautiful game go green.
The Labour chief says there are “little things” supporters can change with their travel and eating plans as part of a veggie food push.
But senior Tories seized on the comments telling him to keep his hands off their half-time pies as he made the comments ahead of his team Arsenal beating Liverpool 3-1 yesterday.
It comes as Labour donor and Forest Green Rovers chairman Dale Vince calls on environment issues to be part of the new football regulator’s remit.
Sir Keir told Sky Sports: “I think what can happen with football is, if you get a campaign and it sort of surfs the wave, it can really take off.
“If you look at some of the work that was maybe done in relation to racism. That really caught the imagination of fans.
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“And now it is really rare actually in the stands to hear much racism.
“I’m not saying it’s gone away completely.
“If the same can happen on sustainability, capture the imagination, little things that fans can do, whether its travelling, eating, whatever it is. I think this is good.”
But Cabinet Office Minister Esther McVey, said: “I know Labour is being bankrolled by vegan and net zero extremist Dale Vince.
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“But I am not sure Keir Starmer’s desire to turn every club into Forest Green Rovers puts him in touch with most football supporters.
The so-called Minister for Common Sense added: “If Keir thinks telling football fans to give up their half-time meat pies is a vote winner I think he is badly mistaken.”
Eighty-five of the country’s top clubs signed up to the Green Football Weekend with plant-based burgers and pies offering a veggie match day experience for fans.
Figures show that if football fans ate one veggie meal a day it would save the equivalent carbon of taking 5.5 million cars off the road.
Tory MP Jonathan Gullis said: “What fresh hell is this from Sir Keir?!
“His idea to spend £28 billion extra every year on green projects with no plan of how to pay for them is madness. Now he’s acting as a pie snatcher!
“Sir Keir may love scoffing tofu but footy fans don’t need pious lectures from an holier-than-thou vegetarian about match day nosh. Keep your hands off our meat pies Sir Keir.”
A Labour source insisted: “Football legends from Peter Crouch to Jamie Carragher back this important campaign. Football fans will surely be devastated to learn that the Tory Party do not.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
