Keir Starmer has hit back at Argentina and their players after they unfurled a banner claiming ownership of the Falkland Islands.
Last night saw two old rivals go head to head as Argentina knocked out England from the World Cup in the semi-finals.
There was no love lost either on the pitch as multiple confrontations broke out while the Argentinian players unfurled a banner which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falklands are Argentinian) after the game.
Now, in the aftermath, Keir Starmer has hit back at the players for the banner as his spokesperson released a statement.
They said: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falklands definitely are.
“Our position is unchanged, and our commitment to the Falklanders is unwavering.”
The spokesperson also said that Starmer backs Business secretary Peter Kyle’s calls for an investigation from FIFA.
They added: “The PM wishes both teams well for the final – especially Spain.”
Hostilities off the pitch too
However, it would appear that hostilities haven’t just been confined to the pitch as just hours after the semi-final, Argentina submitted a formal complaint to the UK over an alleged incursion into sovereign waters.
Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno claimed that HMS Medway made an “unauthorised” transit through Argentine territorial waters earlier this month.
HMS Medway arrived as the Royal Navy’s permanently deployed presence in the South Atlantic in January this year.
Medway’s role is to sail around the archipelago, provide reassurance to its citizens, enforce fishery protection regulations, work with the RAF and Army, and carry out general maritime security operations.
It is worth noting that the Falklands have been under British sovereignty since 1833 and, in 2013, 99.8% of the population voted to remain a British overseas territory.
In fact, the French were the first to settle the islands back in 1764 before selling up to Spain three years later.
Britain had its first settlement in 1766, 50 years before Argentina was even a country.
Argentina has never legally owned the islands.