SubscribeThe Economist ProLog inSkip to contentSubscribeThe Economist ProLog inWeekly editionWorld in briefUnited StatesChinaBusinessFinance & economicsEuropeAsiaMiddle EastAmericasArtificial intelligenceCultureCartoons & gamesundefined undefinedSubscribe to The EconomistUnlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newslettersSubscribe to The EconomistUnlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newslettersSubscribeManage accountGift subscriptionsLog outManage accountGift subscriptionsLog outBritain | NewsletterPoliticians talking football can be a risky game. Sonny Loughran, our Britain intern, thinks it holds lessons for the Labour PartyPhotograph: News Licensing May 26th 2026|4 min read Already have an account?Log in Continue with a free trial Get full access to our independent journalism for free Free trial Or create a free account to unlock just this article Create account Reuse this contentMore from BritainThe War Room newsletter: Don’t panic! (But be prepared)Tim Judah, The Economist‘s special correspondent, examines Britain’s vulnerabilities in civil defenceBritain is quietly de-BrexitingBut any Labour government will have to soften its red lines to get meaningfully closer to the EUBritain and Poland are set to sign a big new security treatyThe balance of power between the countries is changing Bagehot Hate Labour? Vote Labour!Makerfield and the new politics of paradox Labour’s “battle for ideas” is a skirmish over small differencesAnd it ducks the questions that matter mostBritain’s second-biggest city goes from dysfunctional to worseOnce the best-governed city in the world