Sections of Chelsea supporters directed expletive‑laden chants at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during the club’s trip to Brentford on Saturday, Daily Mail Sport reported.
The newspaper said around 1,700 Chelsea fans travelled to the Gtech Community Stadium and that groups within the crowd could be heard singing chants aimed at the Labour leader, including lines transcribed as "Keir Starmer is a w*****" and "we've got Palmer, f*** Keir Starmer." The report also said parts of the crowd sang "Rule, Britannia," an anthem that has been adopted by some far‑right groups in the U.K.
According to the Daily Mail, vendors outside the ground were seen selling Union Jack flags emblazoned with the slogan "stop the boats," a reference to the ongoing migrant crisis. The newspaper linked the incident to wider demonstrations in London on Saturday, reporting that supporters of anti‑immigrant activist Stephen Yaxley‑Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, staged a "Unite The Kingdom" march that it described as the largest right‑wing demonstration in recent memory; the report said the march attracted about 110,000 participants and that police faced "unacceptable violence" while controlling crowds.
The Daily Mail noted that Sir Keir, who supports Arsenal and had attended the Gunners’ match at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the day, has frequently been the target of abusive chants at football matches. Similar foul‑mouthed chants aimed at the Labour leader were reported during England’s World Cup qualifying win over Andorra at Villa Park in June, when sections of supporters sang a modified version of KC & The Sunshine Band’s "Give It Up" containing derogatory language about Starmer.
Thomas Tuchel, who has previously managed Chelsea, was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying he did not hear the alleged chants but that "if it happened, it's not acceptable." The report did not indicate whether any club, stadium authority or law enforcement agency had opened an inquiry or planned disciplinary measures in response to the chanting.
The episode adds to a string of incidents in recent years in which British political figures have been targeted by abusive chanting at sporting events, raising questions about the intersection of politics and spectator culture. It was not immediately clear whether any individuals would face sanctions or whether the matter would prompt reviews of stewarding and crowd control at future fixtures.