Author Archives: Tom Davies

We have a responsibility to not just be pro-EU but pro-European. Let’s never say no to re-joining the EU but prioritise laying the groundwork for a successful pro-active membership of the community.

Manchester City seem oddly un-British. I’m not referring to the nationalities of the players involved, nor where the club’s money comes from, but rather what they’re doing: Winning. They’re not the underdogs, nor the victims of bad luck, but rather predictable winners because of their world-leading teamwork, players and organisation.

This un-Britishness is certainly reflected in the media and popular response. A mixture of disbelief and almost disappointment, some journalists point out how City are ruining football with their predictable dominance correlating with their extreme wealth. Britain, historically a nation of underdogs, has somehow produced a monster of a team reminiscent of Imperial Germany in its superpower trajectory.

Most importantly, I would say, Britain is perhaps not used to such coherence, strength and success after years of internal division and geopolitical humiliation. No-matter one’s views of Brexit as a policy, it wasn’t executed very well. Brexit has contributed to Britain’s economic troubles resulting in the insecurity of millions, while a divisive discourse paints Britain as the victims in an adversarial relationship with Europe.

Yet it wasn’t always like this. It wasn’t long ago that Britain was not just European, but a European leader in its values and foreign policy. No matter how sickening he was to some people, Tony Blair demonstrated a superstar-like energy as prime minister. Perhaps not quite like Manchester City now, Britain was definitely a European force to be taken seriously.