Politics
How to grab onto an England victory
LONDON — England is on the cusp of joining the World Cup’s final eight, and hope is tentatively starting to spread that this month could finally end 60 years of hurt for a nation that has come home emptyhanded from every tournament since.
This week’s Westminster Insider podcast explores the strange but powerful relationship between soccer and politics — and the unwritten rules politicians should follow if they want to use the unique emotional power of the beautiful game to their advantage.
1. Get your timing right
It looks highly likely that Andy Burnham will become Britain’s new prime minister on July 20 — just one day after the World Cup final. If England were to lift the trophy, Burnham’s first day in office would coincide with a wave of national euphoria. History suggests this could be somewhat helpful to a new prime minister.
Ten days before England’s 1966 World Cup triumph, Prime Minister Harold Wilson introduced an emergency package of tax rises and spending cuts as Britain grappled with inflation and economic pressure. Morale was low.
Then came Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick and England’s glorious win over West Germany. England’s victory at Wembley gave the country a huge psychological lift — and boosted the standing of the government. Richard Crossman, then leader of the House of Commons, said in his diaries there was “a big change in Harold’s personal position.”
But if Burnham is hoping for a well-timed World Cup-inspired polling boost on arrival, he should be aware that there are obvious risks if England doesn’t go all the way.
In 1970, Wilson had hoped another deep England run would help create a feel-good factor before a general election. Instead, England surrendered a two-goal lead to West Germany in the quarter-finals just four days before polling day.
Home Secretary Roy Jenkins reported after canvassing that voters were despondent — less about the economy or immigration than who was to blame for England’s defeat. Wilson lost to Ted Heath’s Conservatives.
The electoral impact of the 1970 World Cup disappointment is still the subject of debate, though an intriguing fact has only added to the folklore: English voters swung more towards the Conservatives than Scotland and Wales.
2. It’s more than a game
Playwright James Graham, creator of the hit play and BBC TV series “Dear England,” argues politicians often underestimate soccer’s deeper social importance.
Amid the “hollowing out” of British civic life — declining high streets, weakened public spaces and fractured communities — the soccer stadium is one of the few places left where people still gather physically and collectively, he says. So it matters not just every two or four years during major tournaments, but every single week, shaping people’s routines, their communities and even their identities.
When people support their club, they are investing in something bigger than themselves: shared rituals, symbols, songs and belonging. “You have to turn up in person and in proximity with your physical community,” he says.
Graham argues that politicians who understand this are more likely to connect to voters in what he sees as an age of growing disconnection, as people’s lives are increasingly shaped by AI, growth targets and digital life.
“It’s a powerful opportunity to show the kind of country we are,” says Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. “The very best of people coming together.”
3. Be authentic
No discussion of the potential peril of mixing football and politics is complete without mentioning David Cameron.
The former prime minister — supposedly an Aston Villa supporter — famously claimed to support West Ham during the 2015 election campaign.
He later blamed a “brain fade” — but the damage was done.
Scarlett McGwire, political commentator and former Labour adviser, says authenticity is everything.
“One of the reasons it’s so important for politicians to be authentic is there’s this myth that politicians always lie,” she says. “If they’re not authentic, people think: if they’re lying about this, they could be lying about everything.”
Soccer fans can smell performative fandom instantly. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage recently faced criticism after posting what appeared to be recycled football content from Euro 2024 during this World Cup.
Writer and journalist Adrian Goldberg says when politicians are genuine fans “football can just be a little bridge between the electorate and the prime minister.”
Although this didn’t seem to help genuine Arsenal supporter Keir Starmer.
4. Remember the home nations
Navigating loyalties across the United Kingdom — which fields four separate national teams — is hard.
McGwire recalls former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s advisers deciding he was “too Scottish” and working to place a Daily Mail story about how he cheered on the English team.
“It was completely set up,” she says. “Nobody believed it.”
Scottish Labour backbench MP Brian Leishman — a long-suffering supporter of the Tartan Army — is less concerned about courting England fans.
“It would be intolerable if England won the World Cup,” he says. “I would hate it.”
That result could boost support for Scottish independence, he adds — only half-jokingly.
5. There is no single football audience
Soccer teams are cheered on by a wide range of people — from younger fans to older traditionalists, England obsessives to club loyalists, politically engaged supporters to those who simply want politics kept out of the game.
It has grown more difficult for politicians to balance them without stumbling into divisive culture-war debates. Goldberg argues the controversy over players “taking the knee” during the Black Lives Matter protests in the early 2020s left fans on the terraces divided.
“There were some fan bases where taking of the knee was booed, there were others where it was embraced and others where fans were kind of somewhere in the middle around that,” he says.
That makes targeting your desired crowd crucial. Farage and his Reform UK party appear to be seeking the support of football fans with a campaign of turquoise football shirts, and visits to clubs like Ipswich Town.
Fresh off his controversial Trump invite, the Florida Republican says he’s trying to make a mark but not trying to challenge John Thune…
Read More
BRUSSELS — Belgian politicians and soccer officials were outraged Sunday after FIFA ditched a one-match ban for American star Folarin Balogun that would have ruled him out of the U.S.-Belgium World Cup round-of-16 matchup on Monday.
President Donald Trump immediately thanked FIFA on his Truth Social platform after the controversial decision was announced, for “for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Shortly after FIFA’s bombshell, the New York Times reported that Trump has called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino on Wednesday and asked him to review Balogun’s suspension.
Balogun was originally suspended for one match after being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina during the first knockout round. While many soccer pundits thought the red card was harsh, there is little precedent for a player not serving a further suspension after being ordered off during a tournament.
In a statement Sunday, the world soccer governing body said: “In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.”
The Belgian football association said it was “astonished” by the decision to overturn the suspension. “In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the association noted.
Senior politicians from across Belgium reacted with bafflement.
“True strength lies in winning with fair play (and by following all the rules). That’s what Belgium will do tomorrow. Full support for the Royal Belgian FA, which announced tonight that it is exploring all possibilities to protect the legitimate rights of all participants as well as the fundamental principles of fair play that govern soccer during this World Cup,” said Jacqueline Galant, Walloon sports minister from the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement.
“Shame on you! When money calls the shots, the World Cup loses all credibility. Adapting the rules to please Trump, trying to cheat to win—what a deplorable image for FIFA, for the soccer World Cup, and for the United States. Rules must be respected by everyone, in sports as in life,” the opposition Socialist party said in a statement.
“Amazing how a red card suddenly becomes ‘unjust’ when Trump gets involved … FIFA must defend fairness, not give the impression of yielding to political pressures. See you on the pitch: the Devils’ victory will be all the more valuable,” added Yvan Verougstraete, a member of the European Parliament and president of the Francophone centrist Les Engagés party.
Camille Gijs contributed to this report.
Fresh off his controversial Trump invite, the Florida Republican says he’s trying to make a mark but not trying to challenge John Thune…
Read More
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship10 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words