“As the saying in football goes, this is utter woke nonsense."
The Football Association (FA) has hit back at Suella Braverman after she branded their policy “racist” and “utter woke nonsense”.
The FA set a diversity target for 30% of the England men’s coaching staff to be from ethnically diverse backgrounds by 2028.
On March 24, 2026, Reform UK’s Braverman wrote to FA chief Mark Bullingham, calling for the abolition of the target. She argued the policy “divides rather than unites”.
Posting her letter on X, Braverman said: “The @FA Football Association wants to mandate that 1 in 4 football coaches come from a Black, Asian or other minority background.
“As the saying in football goes, this is utter woke nonsense. The game’s gone. Fans don’t care what the coach looks like. They just want the best person for the job, based on merit alone. That’s what gets results. Not tokenism.
“I’ve written to the FA urging a rethink. I’m happy to help them draw up a fairer policy. Let’s kick racism out of football, including anti-white racism.”
Braverman also claimed the policy was “fundamentally flawed, inherently racist and bad for the game”.
She added: “The best coaches should get the job, not because of their skin colour, but because they are the best person for the job.”
The FA rejected the criticism and confirmed it would keep the target as part of its broader efforts to widen access to the sport.
A spokesperson said: “Football has the unique ability to break down barriers and bring communities together. Through our EDI strategy, we aim to ensure the game reflects the full diversity of our nation.
“This means opening up pathways and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented groups.
“While we will always take a meritocratic approach by appointing the best people for roles, we also recognise the importance of having a broader range of participants across the sport.
“We are proud that our strategy is supporting the growth of football among men, women, boys and girls from all communities.”
The @FA Football Association wants to mandate that 1 in 4 football coaches come from a Black, Asian or other minority background.
As the saying in football goes, this is utter woke nonsense. The game’s gone.
Fans don’t care what the coach looks like. They just want the best… pic.twitter.com/nSiQLt3y63
— Suella Braverman (@SuellaBraverman) March 24, 2026
The debate has also drawn political reaction, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy criticising Reform UK’s stance.
She said:
“Reform should keep their toxic politics out of our national game.”
“Sport belongs to everyone in our country. It unites us and brings us together, which is exactly why Reform has such a problem with it.”
Ex-Premier League striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink also defended the principle behind the policy:
“If the FA or whatever organisation are doing the interviews blindly, so not looking at colour, and this is over the whole industry, really, then I would say, ‘Go for it and give the best person the job’. But that is not the case.
“And [the rule] is also there to help black ex-players to go and do their badges because there are jobs out there for us.
“At the moment, the majority – 95, 97 per cent of black players – they don’t want to go and do their badges because they say, ‘We will never get a job’. That’s why that rule has been put in.”
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