Euro 2020: Government urged to quarantine Uefa officials

The government has been criticised for considering waiving normal quarantine rules for Uefa football officials and VIP guests to ensure the Euro 2020 finals are held at Wembley.

Matches in the ongoing tournament are taking place across Europe until the final on 11 July.

Labour's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said Uefa tickets should be given to fans instead.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said officials would be tested daily.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today Programme, Mr Shapps said the "successful" Events Research Programme, which is running up to 15 test events for crowds in the UK, was allowing people to take part in sporting and cultural events.

"This is a continuation of this," he said, adding that football officials will "only be able to come here to go to the football".

"They'll need to be tested, they'll need to be tested daily, there are fines which go up to a couple of thousand pounds for breaking those rules. This is not a free-for-all at all."

Uefa - European football's governing body and the tournament's organiser - has demanded that 2,500 officials and VIP guests be allowed in to the country without quarantine if the UK wants to host the semi-finals and finals.

On Thursday's BBC Question Time, Labour's Jonathan Ashworth said he could not see how it could "possibly be justified to let Uefa officials and sponsors get around quarantine rules" to attend games in the UK.

He said the UK could not afford to "be complacent" over the virus, because of its long-term effects on some people - but that would be the case if officials were allowed in without quarantine.

Speaking for the government, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said negotiations with UEFA were ongoing and officials would have to stay in designated hotels and use designated transport.

He added that the Euro 2020 games would bring a "lot of joy and a lot of revenue."

Mr Buckland said the rationale behind the decision was wanting "to attract a major international football tournament to the UK".

But the Green Party's Caroline Lucas responded that the decision was "deep hypocrisy".

She accused the government of "putting out the red carpet" for football officials, while she said there were many who "hadn't been able to see loved ones" throughout the pandemic.

"It absolutely stinks," she said, accusing the government of having "double standards at its heart".