Scotland’s The National apologises for ‘crossing a line’ in front page insulting England

The editor of Scotland’s only pro-independence newspaper has issued a grovelling apology for resorting to “lazy stereotypes” in a front page urging Spain to take “revenge” on England in the Euro 2024 final.

The National sparked a storm on Saturday over a battle cry caricaturing England supporters as bad tourists ahead of the following day’s match, something Laura Webster has now admitted “crossed a line”.

In a front page featuring a mocked up image of Spain star Rodri kicking an overweight, tattooed England fan shaped like a football on a beach, the paper had said: “Every summer, they fill up your beaches. They drink all your beer. They make a mess of your plazas. They eat fried breakfasts all day instead of your wonderful food. They retire in your towns, and sponge off your public services. Ni siquiera se molestan en aprender el idioma! [They don’t even bother to learn the language!] The National says it’s… TIME FOR REVENGE! Our message to Spain: Save us from an England win (or we’ll never hear the end of it!).”

Almost three days on, Webster posted a statement on X which read: “We would like to address the reaction to Saturday’s front page.

“Readers of The National who have been with us for a long time will know that humour has always been a big part of what we do. Yes, we report on a lot of serious issues, but we also have fun with less-serious stories.

“For Saturday’s front page, we set out to make a light-hearted joke that wouldn’t be taken too seriously in the build-up to a football match. Our intention was to make it over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek.

“However, we admit that the front page didn’t deliver what we set out to do. We leaned into lazy stereotypes, and we shouldn’t have. We have listened to feedback, reflected on our decision-making and have reached the conclusion that we got this one wrong. The front page crossed a line. We apologise.

“It is a privilege to be Scotland’s only newspaper that supports independence. This also comes with a responsibility to reflect the best of our movement, and that is what we promise to do going forward.”

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