‘Penalties not politics’? Please – Marcus Rashford has done more for us than Boris Johnson

Marcus Rashford may have missed a penalty last night at the final of the Euros, but he has consistently gone above and beyond in his public service for England.

And that’s why Conservative commentator Darren Grimes’s tweet urging Rashford to focus on “penalties not politics” shows just how blind some people are to the importance of what Rashford has achieved off the pitch.

It’s easy to see why some Twitter users have dubbed Rashford the “true leader of the opposition”, as the 23-year-old striker has done more for the country in the last few years than the lacklustre, policy-light Keir Starmer.

In 2019, Rashford created the In the Box campaign, in partnership with Selfridges, to ensure that homeless people had access to essential items over Christmas. He and his mother personally visited homeless shelters to hand out much-needed boxes.

During the first lockdown in March 2020, Rashford teamed up with the charity FareShare to provide meals for vulnerable children who rely on free school dinners. His work resulted in a sharp U-turn from Boris Johnson who had decided not to extend the free school meals scheme into the summer holidays. The striker raised money for four million meals in July 2020, to support 1.3 million children in need.

Even after Rashford prompted Johnson’s about-face, shameless Tory MPs voted against a Labour motion to keep providing free school meals in the autumn half term holiday in October 2020. Up against base heartlessness and cruelty, Rashford didn’t give up.

In November 2020, he scored another victory against the Tory government, forcing Johnson to U-turn once again on extending free school meals into the holidays. Thanks to Rashford’s efforts, the government committed to spending more than £400m to support children living in poverty and their families.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Rashford has also thrown his support behind literacy campaigns and the need to keep the £20 uplift to Universal Credit. Where the “nasty party” stands for deepening inequality and an uncaring approach to the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society, Rashford has been a beacon of hope for those who believe that there’s a better way.

Food poverty is a pressing issue in Tory Britain. An estimated 8.4 million people in the UK struggle to get enough to eat, something that is totally unacceptable in a wealthy and developed nation. Between August 2020 and January 2021, 2.3 million children experienced food insecurity. Tory policies including the slashing of benefits for the most vulnerable and the indiscriminate use of sanctions, have undoubtedly contributed to child hunger.

A recipient of free school meals himself as a child, Rashford understands the importance of supporting the most vulnerable in a way that privileged, silver spoon politicians choose not to.

In the sixth richest economy in the world, there shouldn’t be a single child forced to go to bed hungry. Rashford knows this and at the tender age of 23, he has used his power and influence to protect children living in poverty.

It’s disgusting and angering that some social media users have targeted him with racist abuse in light of last night’s Euros final. People of colour should never have to deal with the trauma of vile racism, regardless of whether they campaign for food equality or score goals.

Yes, Rashford missed a penalty, but more than a million vulnerable children have been fed thanks to his efforts. He’s twice the man our prime minister is, and we owe him a debt of gratitude. Marcus, if you’re reading this, keep going. Your commitment, decency and compassion are an example to us all.