The fizz has barely gone flat on the champagne. But already Westminster is looking at the North Star. Canada's World Cup triumph is more than a sporting moment. It's a political football. And the BBC is booting it straight into the Downing Street garden.
Let’s be blunt. This government loves a Commonwealth photo-op. The special relationship with the US gets all the ink. But the old Empire ties? That's where the soft power lives. And right now, Canada is the golden child.
Sources inside Broadcasting House tell me the praise for “Commonwealth spirit” was deliberate. Not a throwaway line. A message. The UK needs friends. The US is unpredictable. Europe is still raw. So who’s left? The family. And Canada just won the World Cup.
Now watch the backroom manoeuvres. Number 10 will want to milk this. Expect a call between Starmer and Trudeau within 48 hours. Expect a joint statement about “shared values” and “deepening ties.” But don’t expect any concrete trade deals. This is theatre. Politics is theatre.
But here’s the real story. The poll bounce. Canada’s win is being used by Conservative backbenchers to argue for closer Commonwealth ties. They see it as a counterweight to the EU. Labour MPs are wary. They don’t want to be seen as colonial apologists. So the battle lines are drawn.
I’ve got a text from a senior Tory MP. He says: “This is a moment. The Commonwealth is not just history. It’s the future.” I’ve got a source in the Foreign Office who says: “Canada is the bridge. To the US. To the Pacific. We’d be mad not to use it.”
But the real game is about immigration. Sport is a unifier. But the Home Office is already briefing against “open borders for athletes”. They’re terrified of a new points-based system being seen as a backdoor. Watch for dog whistles about “Commonwealth migration” in the coming weeks.
And the Queen? The late Queen was the Commonwealth’s biggest champion. Charles is less interested. But Buckingham Palace will be trotting out statements about “shared joy”. It’s protocol. But the republicans in Canada are already muttering. The Royal family’s role in the Commonwealth is fragile. A World Cup win doesn’t fix that.
So what’s the bottom line? Canada’s win is a gift to the government. But it’s a poisoned chalice. Every celebration will be scrutinised. Every statement parsed for political meaning. And behind the scenes, the game is about who gets to claim the credit.
The BBC’s line about “Commonwealth spirit” is smart. It’s a dog whistle to the centre-right. It’s a jab at the Brexit ultras who wanted to pivot to the Anglosphere. It’s a reminder that the Union Jack still flies over more than just the UK.
But here’s the leak you won’t hear elsewhere. A cabinet minister told me this morning: “We need to make this about more than football. We need a Commonwealth economic pact. If we don’t, we’re wasting the moment.” The PM’s office is playing coy. But I hear the Treasury is already modelling the numbers. Trade with Canada is tiny. A World Cup bump won’t change that.
So pour a pint of bitter. Raise a glass to Canada. But know this: The game in Westminster is just beginning. And the score is still 0-0.
