Oral Answers to Questions

Rupert Lowe Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lisa Nandy]

I am told by my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray) that Falkirk beat Hearts 5-2 on Sunday, and he does not look very happy about it. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Falkirk Foundation. The Government are investing £400 million in grassroots sports facilities for precisely the reasons that my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank) describes.

[Rupert Lowe (Great Yarmouth) (Restore Britain)]

As Southampton’s former long-serving and at times long-suffering chairman, I know the beautiful game better than most in this Chamber. Football fans have been taken for fools over the outdated Saturday 3 pm blackout for too long. Travel abroad, and we find bars showing every 3 pm premier league match live all at once, yet here in England fans cannot watch a single one—at least legally. Will the Minister press the Football Association to lift the blackout and push for an online monthly subscription service, thereby allowing affordable access to every single FA and PL match for working families and hospitality venues? Football belongs to the people.

[Lisa Nandy]

There is obviously a lively debate among football fans about this issue, and it has been raised with me and the Sports Minister a number of times. The hon. Member will know that there are consequences to taking the action that he describes, but I think we can agree on the final principle that he outlined: football belongs to its fans, and their voices must be heard.