Judge Rinder accuses Beckham of putting ‘money before morals’ with Qatar deal
Condemning decision to stage World Cup in Qatar the Jewish presenter says 'we know from history' that nations with poor human rights records don't improve after hosting tournaments
TV star Robert Rinder has slammed David Beckham for striking a £10million deal to promote the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar accusing him of putting “money before morals.”
The outspoken television judge and Good Morning Britain hostalso slammed the decision to hold the major tournament in the oppressive Middle East nation as a “disgrace.”
The Jewish presenter, who is gay, also condemned Qatar’s treatment of migrant construction workers, thousands of whom are said to have died while building stadiums for the tournament which starts next month.
Rinder said:”There should be basic requirements before you are entitled to [host] them, and that’s not just about LGBTQ.
“It’s about the 6, 500 workers who died, it’s about the fact that Beckham’s daughter Harper would not be able to continue with her education [if she was Qatari] without the permission of a male relative.
“It is tragic that we are about to have the World Cup in Qatar. We need to do the best, all of us, to highlight all of the issues I’m talking about.”
The popular communal celebrity told the Mail on Sunday: “We can’t bury our heads in the sand. You know this is about money, not about the purity or love of the game. What a tragic moment that is.’’
He added history showed us that hosting sporting events did not always lead to political change, pointing to Russia previously hosting the World Cup.
It also emerged that Labour will not send any representatives to Qatar during the tournament, which starts next month.
Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell is understood to have turned down an invite to attend, citing the deaths of construction workers, and the continued criminalisation of homosexuality in the Gulf state.
She said:“Of course I am looking forward to the World Cup and I’ll be cheering England on.
“But we cannot avert our eyes from the problems in Qatar.
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