Euro 2020 and Political Bandwagons
We live in unique and unparalleled times in which public figures can make a clear and unambiguous critical statement on Monday and then completely contradict themselves by the end of the week. Perhaps the saddest aspect of this recent shift in political discourse is the way we the UK public blithely accept it. It’s become so commonplace that we no longer treat it as a “WTF?” moment. The politically savvy shrug it off with a sigh as the latest tactic in the ongoing culture wars, while the credulous willingly go along with this premeditated reshaping of reality because their side is “owning the liberals”. It makes me cringe as I type these words but this is what political and social discourse has come to in the UK. It is no longer about competing political ideologies or strongly held principles but just trite, tribal loyalties. Many political commentators refer to this process as the “footballfication” of politics.
If you wish to see a textbook example of this process then look no further than the Euro 2020 tournament which reaches its final today. For those who live outside of the UK, I cannot stress enough how integral football is to the country's popular culture and national identity. It is a staple of public discourse serving multiple purposes. It is a convenient conduit for nationalism when needed and at other times a microcosm of the tabloid press’ negative obsession with class, racism and the objectification of women via WAG culture. Football is a multi billion pound industry that simultaneously infuriates and delights both its fans and the national commentariat. Hence the delayed UEFA European Football Championship has arrived at exactly the right time, offering an opportunity for national catharthcism after the ravages of COVID-19 and the perfect platform for the worst sort of tubthumping nationalism from the incumbent government.
However, before focusing upon today’s final between England and Italy, let’s take a moment to reflect upon the nation’s perspective of the “beautiful game” a month ago. There was a great deal of popular press and public pushback after the recent England vs Croatia match in June when the England squad “took a knee” before the game started. Some sections of the crowd booed their own team. Several government ministers such as the Home Secretary Priti Patel and numerous serving MPs took to social media to criticize the England team for daring to express any sort of political opinion (despite being registered voters). And the popular press (that is 80% right leaning in the UK) queued up to hector the players for “lecturing them”. Mind you that is a national pastime. Much of what passes for sports journalism in the UK is just a vehicle to attack white working class players and impugn those of ethnicity.
So that was the lie of the land just under a month ago. Today we find ourselves as a nation in the unusual position of England being in the final of a major international tournament, with a genuine chance of winning. A national team that in previous years has been disconnected, and poorly managed has now been transformed into a cohesive and viable squad. Both manager and the team have taken public criticism on the chin and faced the sling and arrows of outrageous fortune with fortitude and dignity. I am not in any way a sports fan and am not qualified to offer an in-depth analysis but something different has occurred this time round and it is noticeable. All involved have obviously felt they have something to prove and to quote the great Sam Gamgee “you have shown your quality, sir - the very highest”. However, this situation has now presented a bandwagon and we now have to endure the unseemly spectacle of the very worst of us trying to follow in the wake of the very best.
On Wednesday England beat Denmark and all the usual suspects went into full Shaggy mode (as in the song “It wasn’t me”) and instantly reversed their position from that of three weeks ago. Hence the Home Secretary trotted out her insincere support for the England team on social media, despite the fact she is currently spearheading legislation that would potentially have kept many of the squad’s parents from entering the UK. And several tabloid press rabble rousers suddenly became very enthusiastic and generous with their praise. But perhaps the most sickening in its inherent moral bankruptcy was the pitiful display by our current Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A man whose career has been defined by his complete lack of belief in any idea, concept or institution other than his own advancement, gurning as he desperately tried to associate himself with something positive. Populist politics has no truck with culture but will happily attach itself to it like a parasite, when it is expedient to do so.
What concerns me the most is whatever the outcome of today’s final, there is political gain to be had either way. Such is the beauty of a cleft stick. Either end can be used to beat you. In a perfect world an England win would be a shot in the arm to all genuine football fans and a moral boost to a nation that has been down by both COVID-19 and Brexit. But we live in a very imperfect world and an England win would also provide ammunition, bragging rights and propaganda for the current government and their side of the culture wars. It could be used to bolster the lies about “Global Britain” and add fuel to the fire of British exceptionalism (by which Johnson really means English exceptionalism). Conversely, a loss could aid the rights victim mentality and the specious notion that poor old Blighty is being persecuted by Johnny Foreigner, especially that mean EU. And irrespective of either outcome, political capital is a short lived gain. Within weeks the status quo would return and professional footballers would be relegated back to their status of pampered billionaires or the questionable sons of criminals by those exiting the bandwagon.
There have always been political bandwagons as they are useful vehicles to focus the ongoing national narrative on simple, binary issues. They are by nature lazy, knee jerk exercises in the worst sort of political and social bun fighting but they get traction. We currently have a government that was elected on a lie and that does not have any tangible vision for the country beyond their own nebulous soundbites. Therefore the bandwagon is an increasingly useful tool, especially Euro 2020, with its additional nationalist perspective. Astute political commentators have suggested that most of the UKs woes stem from the fact that it just hasn’t found a role for itself in the modern world and that it clings too much to its past. Some have gone as far to say that perhaps the nation only voted for Brexit as a means to feel good about itself and that this could be served just as well by winning a football tournament.
You cannot keep politics out of sport. Wherever there is money, athletes from all walks of life and a mass audience often drawn heavily from specific socioeconomic groups you will inevitably get expressions of political allegiance and ideology. Sometimes these views will be divergent and factional within sport itself. However, sometimes using such a platform as sport can be very powerful as Marcus Rashford discovered in 2020 with his campaign for free school meals during the lockdown. This is something that politicians both fear but also find alluring. They fear it because they are terrified of youth and its often honed sense of morality. These things are alien to them and they cannot control them. But they are attracted to the reach that sports men and women have and they covet it. So it is no surprise why so many of the political and chattering classes are currently circling Euro 2020 waiting to either feast on the remains of a defeat, or soar upon the thermals coming from a fevered victory. We’ll know which one by tomorrow.
