In each topic, he did his best to choose his path carefully. For example, he admitted that he found the Qatar issue “too much to bear”.
“This is a country criticized internally for modernizing too quickly,” he said. “We have to respect other cultures. It’s complicated. I can’t jump up and down in public and expect people to sit around the table.” Even so, in that regard and all the other topics he has faced, he believes he has been more “positive” than he could have imagined. “I can’t be a loose cannon,” he said. “But I recognize my responsibility.”
He knows that approach can make his job more difficult. Tryl’s research shows that, unlike in the United States, Britain does not contain so-called stacked identities: an individual’s stance on Brexit is not a reliable indicator, such as such as their perception of lockdowns or vaccinations, let alone issues like abortion or universal health care, where there is broad societal consensus.
“There is a lot of overlap and difference,” says Tryl. Perception, though, is different. “Half the country thinks we are more divided than ever,” he said, and that perception is powerful in itself.
Southgate, no matter how much he tried to contain it rather than spark the controversy, could not escape it. In a country that defines itself by division, even trying to figure out the nuances requires taking sides or being assigned – and dealing with the consequences.
“I could have avoided it all,” Southgate said. “But whenever this is over, I want to be able to look back and say I’ve stood by what I believe in.”
