Britain Needs Somebody, Not Just Anybody: Andy Murray and Brexit

Andy Murray exits the All-England Club on Sunday after winning his second Wimbledon title.

The Scottish tennis superstar and world number 2 plays under the flag of the United Kingdom. Murray won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics representing his British brethren. He and Great Britain reached the Davis Cup Final in 2015 for the first time since 1978. A nation desperate for sporting success, Britain has taken the Scottish Murray under siege as its token athlete. And this year, once again, Murray is the champion of the British Grand Slam. A nation equally desperate for unity, Britain can only hope that Murray’s victory can help mend the torn island post-Brexit.

The UK voted to leave the European Union on June 23 by a divided 52–48 result. “Brexit” has taken the international community by storm ever since. The Leave vote was a triumphant, patriotic victory in the eyes of many. UKIP leader Nigel Farage channeled his inner Bill Pullman, dubbing June 23 British “independence day” (BBC). Now, half of the nation is bewildered and remorseful, petrified of the future of the United Kingdom. The other half sees the result as a rejection of toxic globalization and a reflection of British national pride.

It’s fitting that Murray would win this year’s Wimbledon in front of whitewashed crowd at the All-England Club (where, congruously, players all wear white clothing). Wimbledon is a hub of homogeneity: an embodiment of the same British superiority complex that induced the nation’s dominant white population to vote Leave. Murray’s victory is only further affirmation that Britain is closing its gaudy black and gold Buckingham gates to foreign influences. The island is out on an island. This is real.

Prime Minister David Cameron, set to resign later this year, was in attendance for Murray’s final victory over Canadian Milos Raonic. He watched from the royal box with the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Sadiq Khan, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Teary-eyed in his post-match interview, Murray joked: “Playing in the Wimbledon final is tough, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be the Prime Minister. That’s an impossible job.” As the ESPN camera shifted toward Cameron, the reaction from the crowd was a confusing mélange of mostly boos and a few cheers. The audience, a microcosm of the British public, is polarized. It’s no surprise, though, that the crowd returned to raucous celebration when Murray concluded his interview. Athletes unify when politicians divide. You’re right, Andy, your job is much easier.

If the division between Remain and Leave wasn’t enough, another layer of conflict persists in the UK. Scotland voted 62% to remain in the EU on June 23 (Reuters) and now Scottish leaders are pushing for a do-over of the 2014 independence referendum. Now that Murray, a Glasgow native, has won another Wimbledon title, suffice it to say the British icons in the royal box will be holding onto their adopted son for dear life. Perhaps Murray will be the prize that pushes England and Wales to win the custody battle over Scotland, against all odds.

With Britain out on its own, Murray’s Wimbledon victory serves as symbol of the island’s heightened national pride. An “independent” Britain, far from the madding crowd of mainland Europe, is here to stay. Game, set, match.

written for: theplatform.squarespace.com