Gareth Southgate for Prime Minister?

It's non stop sport at the moment. As if the footie wasn't enough, Wimbledon finals weekend and the Tour de France as well. Mark Cavendish is a complete legend. I hope he wins another stage in the Tour. I'm hoping Ash Barty is going to win the tennis. A great ambassador for the sport. Sport is a great leveller and a great way to bring people together. Some people think that sport and politics don't mix. I've never really understood that. I love the way sport and politics mix. Ali refusing the draft in the Vietnam war. The Black Power fists at the Olympics. The sporting boycott of Apartheid South Africa. The England players taking the knee. It's all part of the same thing. Why shouldn't sports people be political? Using their fame to promote a better world. Surely we can all get behind that?

As ever, it's not that straightforward. I've struggled to support the English football team over the years, partly because my Dad was Irish and Mum was Scottish. I was born in London but in our house, in international sport, we supported anyone who was playing England! On top of that, there was the influence of the far right in football. Football hooligans, English fans making nazi salutes and racist songs. Not pretty. 

Thankfully the influence of the far right is less these days. But the attitudes of the far right have, in some respects, become more mainstream. A Tory MP saying he won't watch the England team because they take the knee. I loved the way Gareth Southgate dealt with that: "We're sorry to see him go". That's leadership and that's the way to take on prejudice and bring people round to a different way of thinking. That's what the knee is all about - the booing is noticeably less as time goes by. First you get people to stop booing, then (hopefully) they start thinking; if they start thinking, they might start to change their mind about what they think about racism and all sorts of other issues.

It's great to see our Prime Minister taking such a visible role in supporting the England team. Boris loves, er soccerball, or whatever you call it. I don't know if anyone has asked him what team he supports? I hope he has an answer ready and doesn't get confused between West Ham and Aston Villa like David Cameron. Football has always been a sport for everyone - once the professionalisation process enabled poorer people to play! I don't know for sure but I doubt any of the current England squad are from a well-off background. It's not surprising then that the likes of Marcus Rashford are keen to do their bit to make sure children don't go hungry. Gary Neville said after the semi-final that Gareth Southgate was a fantastic leader at a time when the country was lacking any decent leadership. He stopped short of saying "and I mean our useless Prime Minister and the rest of the shower who are currently in charge". But it was obvious what he was saying. Well said Gary! Did he include Keir Starmer in his comments? Is Keir a good leader? I think he's got massive potential and I hope he starts showing his true colours soon.

In contrast, Boris and his new found love of football is another example of opportunistic nonsense. You would hope that people will see through it but the bigger the deception, the more it can be believed, sometimes. There are plenty of recent examples of that.....

Enjoy the weekend of sport. I hope England beat Italy tomorrow. I love Gareth Southgate and the England team and all they represent. I think they represent the vast majority of people who are patriotic and inclusive in the way they view this country. A broad view of what Englishness is, not the narrow view of those who boo the knee, or boo other National Anthems. The booing will be drowned out by the cheering. Hopefully not just in football but in politics too.


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