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Katie Sands

ITV issue statement on Gary Neville's live TV attack on Tories during World Cup final

ITV has distanced itself from Gary Neville's comparison of striking UK workers to migrant labourers in Qatar during the broadcast of the World Cup final.

Former Manchester United and England footballer Neville, 47, claimed that government ministers were "demonising" striking nurses, ambulance staff and railway workers.

He was speaking in response to a question from fellow pundit Roy Keane, who said the World Cup in Qatar had been marred by corruption.

Much of the focus during the 2022 World Cup, which was won by Argentina on penalties against France on Sunday, has been on the human rights abuses, exploitative employment practises and the number of deaths on constructions projects.

"We should detest low pay, we should detest poor accommodation and poor working conditions," Neville said on ITV.

"That is something we can never ever accept in this region or in any region – and it is just worth mentioning we've got a current government in our country who are demonising rail workers, ambulance workers and, terrifyingly, nurses. So in our country, we've got to look at workers' rights, but certainly when football goes now, we have to make sure we pick up on workers' rights wherever it goes because people have got to be equal, they've got to be treated equal.

"We can't have people being paid an absolute pittance to work, we can't have people in accommodation which is unsavoury and disgusting. That shouldn't happen here [in Qatar] with the wealth that exists. But it shouldn't happen in our country that our nurses are having to fight for an extra pound or two pounds, either."

Watch the full clip below:

An ITV spokesman said: "Gary Neville was expressing his own personal views in the context of a discussion about the treatment of workers in Qatar within a live broadcast. His views are his own and were not endorsed by ITV."

Neville's comments have drawn criticism from members of the Conservative party.

Former levelling-up secretary Simon Clarke MP tweeted: "It is beyond ridiculous that he is given free rein by ITV Sport to overtly politicise a major sporting event... to compare workers' rights in Qatar with the UK is grotesque."

Former Tory party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said ITV should have cut off Neville, who is a member of the Labour Party. He added: "People have been killed on building sites and things all over Qatar and paid a pittance, and he compares that to the UK? It's unbelievable. To compare a country that demonises gay rights, executes and brings in migrant workers by the truckload and pays them a pittance to a democratic country that has the concept of human rights, rule of law and all that goes with it – he's abused his position."

Lee Anderson, Conservative MP for Ashfield, said: "Another party political broadcast by a millionaire. Looks like ITV is on my banned list now. Talk about football Gary and keep your nose out of politics. You don't know what you're talking about."

Neville directly hit back at the MP on Twitter, saying: "I’m glad you’re p***ed off! The biggest set of charlatans to ever be in power!"

Neville himself was grilled over his decision to attend the World Cup while anchoring Have I Got News For You in November when the topic of accepting money from a Qatari broadcaster was brought up.

"Well, you've got a choice, haven't you?" he told the programme. "My view always has been that you either highlight the issues and challenges in these countries and speak about them, or you basically don't say anything and stay back home and don't go. And I think we should challenge them."

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