Boris Johnson on Greed: In general a good thing. In football a bad thing (when asked publically)
Boris Johnson spoke out against the new football European Super League, widely condemned as putting the greed of a few already very wealthy football clubs above the interests of the sport, after it was announced.
It was a particularly Johnsonian intervention in more ways than one
Just recently he was heard to exclaim that the production of COVID-19 vaccines was motivated by greed for the profits they might make and this underlined capitalism was a good thing.
The Sunday Times(25.4) revealed as part of a piece on the Johnson-Cummings grudge match that Ed Woodward, the now resigned Chief Executive of Manchester United, was in Downing St days before the ESL announcement. It was claimed by the usual No.10 sources that Woodward did not meet Johnson or discuss the ESL. Rather he met Dan Rosenberg, an advisor to Johnson, who the Sunday Times subsequently tweeted, is both an MU and an ESL fan
The report notes that in fact Woodward may have met Johnson briefly and may have left with the impression that he backed the ESL.
Only when the public reaction became clear did Johnson condemn it. The Sunday Times subsequently tweeted after it had published the story that Johnson has always been against the ESL. One might sense further advisor briefings at work here.
Johnson back tracked from the vaccine remark too but in fact he has a record of praising greed. Here for example is a summary of part of a speech he made when he was London Mayor in 2013:
In an attempt to shore up his support on the Tory right, as he positions himself as the natural successor to David Cameron, the London mayor called for the “Gordon Gekkos of London” to display their greed to promote economic growth.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/27/boris-johnson-thatcher-greed-good
Sonia Purnell’s biography of Johnson, Just Boris, confirms he is a rugby not a football fan and a Downing St spokesperson confirmed (20.4) that Johnson does not support a football team.
Slamming greed in football does not therefore seem consistent with a Johnsonian worldview unless one understands that Johnson’s position on many things varies depending on what he thinks will be popular. Principle is very much a second best.
Leave a Reply