Reform MP Suella Braverman Demands FA Scrap Coaching Diversity Target
Reform MP Suella Braverman has launched a scathing attack on the Football Association's diversity strategy, branding its coaching target as "utter woke nonsense" and demanding its immediate removal. In a formal letter to FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, the former Conservative minister called for the governing body to abandon its ambition to have at least 25 per cent of England men's coaching staff from non-white backgrounds by 2028.
Braverman's Controversial Intervention
Braverman, who recently defected from the Conservative Party to join Reform, has taken particular issue with the FA's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for 2024 to 2028. This comprehensive plan includes a specific target for a quarter of coaches across all England men's age levels to come from black, Asian, mixed, or other ethnic backgrounds, with an even more ambitious stretch target set at 30 per cent.
In a strongly worded Reform party statement, Braverman declared the approach "fundamentally flawed, inherently racist and bad for the game." She has formally requested a meeting with Bullingham to discuss her concerns and has proposed replacing the current policy with a simple new principle entitled "The Best Person for the Job."
The FA's Diversity Strategy Under Fire
Braverman wrote directly to Bullingham, stating: "The FA has led the fight to kick racism out of football, a mission I utterly support. There is no place for discrimination of any kind in our national game. Yet your DEI strategy does precisely that, it divides rather than unites. It replaces merit with quotas and implements identity politics where teamwork, ability and hard graft should prevail."
The Football Association has been contacted for comment regarding Braverman's intervention. When the strategy was originally launched, Bullingham had emphasized: "Through our new strategy, we will work with our partners across football to boost representation, drive inclusion and tackle discrimination at all levels of our game. We have seen how the power of football can bring communities together and celebrate diversity, and we want to continue to use our influence to deliver positive and lasting change that we can all be proud of."
Broader Context of Football Representation
This controversy emerges against a backdrop of ongoing debates about diversity within English football's coaching and management structures. Tony Burnett, former chief executive of anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out, told the Press Association in 2023: "Football is one of the last bastions of the old boys' network, to be absolutely frank. When you look at the representation across football, what's really clear is there is a myth of meritocracy."
A March 2023 report from the Black Footballers Partnership revealed modest progress, finding that the number of management-related positions held by black employees rose by eight in 2022 compared with the previous year. The figures showed an increase from 49 individuals among 1,338 (3.7 per cent) to 57 individuals out of 1,304 (4.4 per cent), highlighting the significant underrepresentation that persists.
Kick It Out continues to advocate for the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion principles become central to the code of governance that clubs must adopt under its licensing regime. This regulatory push represents another dimension of the ongoing struggle to transform football's institutional structures and create more equitable opportunities across the sport.
