England football fans have turned their terrace chants against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, marking an unprecedented shift in the relationship between political leaders and the national team’s supporters. For the first time, a sitting prime minister has become the target of coordinated insults, with crowds singing variations of “Keir Starmer’s a wanker” and “Fuck Keir Starmer” at recent matches in Belgium, Andorra, and Serbia.
The chants replace older songs about the IRA and “Ten German Bombers,” indicating a deliberate change in focus. According to reports, the new lyrics emerged shortly after England’s Euro 2024 final defeat in July 2024, and have since evolved across musical genres, including a disco version set to KC & The Sunshine Band’s “Give It Up” and a riff on the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”
Observers note that previous prime ministers, including Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson, were largely ignored by football crowds. Starmer’s attempts to engage with football, such as holding up a shirt with the Dutch prime minister and suggesting a bank holiday if England won the European Championship, appear to have backfired.
The backlash follows Starmer’s public association with Arsenal matches, where he used a private box, and broader political tensions after the Southport unrest. Behaviour analysts point out that the chanters are typically solvent, organised fans praised by Belgrade police for good conduct, not far-right extremists.
Political commentators suggest Starmer’s football-related missteps mirror his wider communication challenges, leaving him vulnerable to more charismatic public figures. The chants represent a rare instance of direct, personalised hostility from the English football community toward a prime minister.
