BBC Politics Live guest Lara Bird, a Scottish National Party MP, has ignited fury after confessing she did not support England in the World Cup and would instead back Norway. The admission, made during a discussion on the BBC show, drew widespread criticism from viewers and commentators.
MP's Admission Stuns Presenter
When presenter Vicki Young asked Bird, who is half Scottish and half English, whether she was supporting England in the tournament, the MP hesitated and replied: “I, I, I was not supporting England the other night, no.” She went on to lament that “the greatest injustice in this whole World Cup is that Scotland will not be playing in the final,” and predicted a “really good final” regardless of which teams competed.
Young then probed whether Bird was actively supporting Mexico or remained neutral. Bird responded by describing a “funny momentum in Scotland” where people had “become really passionate Mexican supporters” and predicted they would “probably all become very passionate Norwegian supporters.” When Young noted that her colleague Pete Wishart had posted about “our great neighbours Norway,” Bird chuckled and admitted she would likely support Norway.
Backlash Erupts on Social Media
The clip quickly went viral, with LBC presenter Ben Kentish sharing it and writing: “Sorry, but I find this beyond pathetic.” Journalist Andrew Neil echoed the sentiment, tweeting: “Beyond pathetic. Indeed. But don’t expect a reply. She’ll be too busy burnishing her Norwegian accent.”
Viewers also piled on, with one Scottish commenter saying: “As a Scot, it boils my p***. It's pathetic and embarrassing.” Another remarked: “If only they put this much effort into their own team... they might make it out the groups.” Pete Wishart, the SNP colleague referenced in the interview, defended the sentiment, stating: “Every World Cup they feel they can tell us or even bully us into who we should support. It's called 'football rivalry,' and for some reason, they will never quite understand it.”
King Charles Weighs In
Following Scotland’s elimination from the group stage, King Charles issued a message of commiseration to the team and outgoing manager Steve Clarke. In his statement, the King jokingly acknowledged that traditional sporting rivalries might make it “too much to hope” that the Tartan Army would back England, but still wished well to England, Australia, and Canada remaining in the tournament.
The King said: “I fear that traditional sporting rivalries mean it may be too much to hope that the devoted Tartan Army of yours will now cheer with full voice for the three other realms still in contention, but my wife and I nonetheless wish England, Australia and Canada the very best of luck for the battles ahead.”
