Labour urge Government to boycott Euro 2012

Labour has urged the Government to rule out any ministerial visit to support the England football team during Euro 2012.

Foreign Office minister Emma Reynolds urged the Government to announce a complete boycott of the tournament over concerns on Ukraine's human rights record and widespread anger over the treatment of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Ms Reynolds said: "The trial and ongoing detention of Yulia Tymoshenko has widely been denounced as politically motivated. Why does the Government still take the position that human rights don't seem to matter in the knockout stages of the European Championships?

"Is it that they don't have confidence in their own policy or they don't have confidence in our team?"