Sir Keir Starmer is expected to present honours to the men’s England football team if the Three Lions secure victory in the World Cup, reports BritPanorama.
Labour sources have indicated that Starmer is keen on personally honouring England’s football stars, with speculation around a potential knighthood for captain Harry Kane and a major accolade for standout player Jude Bellingham.
Other notable players such as Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, who also play for Starmer’s favoured club Arsenal, could receive recognition.
One senior Labour official commented, “Keir is definitely not going to leave honouring the England football team to Andy Burnham; he wants to do that himself.”
This potential move appears to contradict Starmer’s earlier stance. In 2023, he had vowed against issuing a traditional resignation honours list, following controversies surrounding honours granted to the previous administrations of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.
Throughout his tenure, Starmer has experienced several significant U-turns on policies, including reversing decisions on winter fuel payments for pensioners and welfare cuts.
If England reaches the final on Sunday, it is anticipated that Starmer’s final act as prime minister will involve flying to New York to witness the match at the Metlife Stadium.
In recent weeks, Downing Street has remained noncommittal when asked whether Starmer would adhere to his original plan of not distributing resignation honours.
Downing Street has not responded to inquiries regarding this speculation.
Should the team not progress to the final, individual players might still be recognised in the New Year’s honours, mirroring past tournaments where players like Kane and former manager Gareth Southgate received MBEs after the semi-final run in 2018.
During PMQs, discussions heavily centred around the World Cup, with various MPs acknowledging Starmer’s tenure as prime minister nearing its conclusion.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice remarked that a 76 percent win rate for England “is the highest of any prime minister in history.”
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, referenced England’s historic World Cup win in 1966, expressing hopes that Starmer will follow in the footsteps of former Labour PM Harold Wilson by leading the country during another World Cup victory.
In a light-hearted moment, Starmer noted, “England only win world cups under Labour.” He has already announced plans for a bank holiday to celebrate if England triumphs on Sunday.
