‘An embarrassment to Yorkshire’ – Sheffield MP hits out over knighthood for Geoffrey Boycott

Sheffield MP Louise Haigh has labelled Geoffrey Boycott an ‘embarrassment to Yorkshire’ after Theresa May awarded him a knighthood in her resignation honours list.
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Shadow policing minister Ms Haigh tweeted after Boycott featured on a list of 57 names made up of mostly political figures.

But domestic abuse charities and Labour said the honour should be removed from the ex-cricketer, who was convicted of beating his girlfriend in 1998.

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Geoffrey Boycott. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.Geoffrey Boycott. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Geoffrey Boycott. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

Boycott, who has always denied the assault, later questioned why the issue had been raised by the media and said he ‘couldn’t give a toss’ about the criticism.

Every departing prime minister can draw up a resignation honours list.

Mrs May announced her resignation in June after failing to get support for the withdrawal agreement she had negotiated for the UK to leave the EU.

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Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh.Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh.
Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh.

The former prime minister showed her love of cricket with knighthoods for Boycott and fellow former England captain Andrew Strauss.

Boycott was fined £5,000 and given a three-month suspended sentence in 1998 after being convicted of beating his then-girlfriend Margaret Moore in a French Riviera hotel.

During the trial, the court heard Boycott pinned Miss Moore down and punched her 20 times in the face before checking out and leaving her to pay the bill.

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Boycott denied the allegations, saying Miss Moore had slipped after flying into a rage when he refused to marry her.

Mrs May, who introduced a landmark Domestic Abuse Bill to Parliament earlier this year, was accused of sending a ‘dangerous message’ by Women’s Aid’s co-acting chief executive Adina Claire.

She said the honour ‘should be taken away’ from Boycott, adding that it sent ‘completely the wrong message’ to survivors of domestic abuse.