PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
FIFA Women's World Cup and the Lionesses' legacy (4 September 2023)

That this House recognises the extraordinary achievements of the England women’s national football team, the Lionesses, on reaching the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023; notes the historic nature of their success, as the first time England’s Lionesses have reached a World Cup final, and only a year since their heroic victory at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022; further notes that the only previous time an English senior national football team reached the World Cup final was in 1966, when the ban on women’s football was still in place; congratulates England’s No. 1, Mary Earps, on receiving the Golden Glove for the tournament, in addition to her well-earned title as FIFA Best Women’s Goalkeeper 2022; notes with disappointment the refusal of the England national teams’ sponsor to reproduce Earps’ kit to capture the wave of enthusiasm for goalkeeping she has inspired; praises every Lioness for their invaluable work on and off the pitch to encourage a new generation of footballing talent, regardless of gender; thanks them for their tireless campaigning to level the playing field, improving girls’ access to football and every child’s access to sport in school; calls on the Government to make good on their promise to honour the Lionesses’ legacy by ensuring every child has access to 2 hours of PE per week; and further calls for a progress report on how effective the Schools Games Mark and School Sports Action Plan have been in delivering equal access.

Sponsored by:
Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat)