Why Is This Labour Baroness Wearing A Brazil World Cup 2014 Shirt In The Lords?
Why Is This Labour Baroness Wearing A World Cup Shirt In The Lords?
Asa Bennett— The Huffington Post UK
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World Cup fever has spread into the House of Lords, as a Labour peer snuck in a Brazil football shirt as she spoke today about the Queen's Speech.
Baroness Morgan of Ely, the shadow minister for Wales, explained to peers that although not "usually" a football fan, she decided to wear a World Cup shirt as "I'm delighted to say that I picked Brazil in the office sweepstake".
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"The thing i love about the World Cup is the anthems," she said, quipping that she hoped the England football team's "grasp of the words" was better than former Welsh secretary John Redwood, who infamously tried to mime along with the Welsh national anthem.
The Labour peer carried on with the World Cup theme to actually make a point with her speech, arguing that Scotland needed to stay part of the United Kingdom, which itself should stay in the European Union.
"An army of English supporters have arrived in Brazil as flight prices are not what they used to be," she said.
"The world is changing and becoming smaller and more integrated, the UK cannot isolate itself as the little island, we cannot return to a time when we were content to import an odd casket of wine from the continent."
Baroness Morgan said she hoped her "fellow Celts" would vote to stay together in September's referendum on Scottish independence.
She also warned the UK against leaving the European Union, saying that it would leave Britain with a "shrinking sense of influence".
"It's only through the EU that England and Scotland can make its voice heard in the world."
Is Brazil ready to host a World Cup?
(01 of17)
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The Tancredo Neves International Airport in Confins (MG), is the gateway to thousands of Brazilians and foreign tourists for the next five weeks... Or at least it will be if it's finished.
(02 of17)
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When the pictures were taken, still less than half of the proposed works for the World Cup have been completed. (credit:LINCON ZARBIETTI/O TEMPO/ESTADÃO CONTEÚDO)
(03 of17)
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Brazilian authorities insist they're ready, but passengers may find themselves in for a rough landing. (credit:LINCON ZARBIETTI/O TEMPO/ESTADÃO CONTEÚDO)
(04 of17)
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Experts blame poor planning and excessive government control for the airport problems (credit:Instagram/@lunagontijoresende)
(05 of17)
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President Dilma Rousseff has dismissed complaints that Brazil isn't ready. (credit:LINCON ZARBIETTI/O TEMPO/ESTADÃO CONTEÚDO)
(06 of17)
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"We aren't building airports just for the World Cup, just for FIFA," President Dilma Rousseff recently said. "We are building for Brazilians." (credit:Instagram/@flabarros_1975)
(07 of17)
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The Tancredo Neves International Airport, however, looks far from ready. (credit:Instagram/@mthzbarbosa)
(08 of17)
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Arriving tourists will be sharing the airport with dozens of workers. (credit:Instagram/@gvizane)
(09 of17)
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This, meanwhile, is the state of a stadium building site. Work is continuing at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. (credit:AP)
(10 of17)
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On the eve of the first training session of Uruguay's national football team, employees of a cleaning company pose for a picture at the Arena do Jacare in Sete Lagoas. (credit:Getty Images)
(11 of17)
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Brazilian Army soldiers take part in a simulated explosion of a radioactive device at Mane Garrincha National Stadium during a safety drill at Mane Garrincha National stadium in Brasilia on June 9. (credit:Getty Images)
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This May 9, 2014 shows that work continues at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. (credit:AP)
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Workers fix a banner before the 2014 soccer World Cup at the Arena da Baixada stadium in Curitiba, Brazil,
(14 of17)
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A graffiti depicting Tatubola, the mascot of the World Cup, on a wall of the Maracana metro station, as restoration works take place. (credit:Getty Images)
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Men at work in the unfinished Arena Corinthians stadium, in Sao Paulo (credit:EPA)
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A worker puts cement on the floor of the unfinished Arena Corinthians stadium, in Sao Paulo (credit:EPA)
(17 of17)
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A man paints the floor of a decoration on June 8, 2014 in Itaquera neighborhood, on the east side of Sao Paulo, Brazil, near the Arena Sao Paulo stadium, where the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2014 will take place. (credit:Getty Images)