Harold Wilson declared after England’s 1966 victory that “we only win the World Cup under a Labour government”.
Now Downing Street is hoping “Keir’s beers” may boost the prime minister’s political fortunes during this year’s tournament, which begins next month.
No 10 is considering making it easier for pubs and bars to serve “pavement pints” while the tournament is on. One option is to temporarily suspend the need for an outdoor license, as happened during the pandemic.
The government has already announced that licensing hours will be extended for England and Scotland matches in the knock-out stages. Pubs will be able to stay open until 1am for games that kick off between 5pm and 9pm and until 2am for kick-offs between 9pm and 10pm to take account of the time difference. The World Cup is being played in cities in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Starmer, who is in Chequers this weekend, will watch his team Arsenal play Crystal Palace today. “Keir is a proper football fan,” one friend said. “He was texting everyone when Arsenal won the Premier League. He would have loved to be with the crowd around the Emirates after the match.”
Photograph by Getty Images
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