Sir Keir’s football club confusion a cause of some concern for fans

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has come in for criticism after seemingly mixing up Dundee’s football clubs.

While discussing what he is looking forward to as coronavirus restrictions are eased, he spoke of his love of football and revealed he plays five-asides with someone from Dundee.

He said: “One of the guys I play football with, called Jamie, comes from Dundee and is a longstanding Dundee United fan.”

However, the MP for Holborn and St Pancras went on to say: “Every week I get to learn what Dundee have been up to. Because of him, I always look out for the Tangerines.”

Maryfield councillor, and Dundee United supporter, Lynne Short said: “In footballing terms we have had greatness in the city in more decades than we can remember.

“But there’s nothing that sticks in the craw more with any Dundonian than somebody getting the team names wrong.”

A Labour spokesman insists Mr Starmer does know the difference between Dundee FC and Dundee United and meant that his friend talks about both clubs.

The spokesman said: “As Keir said, his friend is a big Dundee United fan and, as a result, he regularly hears about the ups and downs of both sides’ fortunes”.

Mr Starmer mixing up Dundee’s football clubs echoes a gaffe by former prime minister David Cameron, when he mentioned the wrong club after he was asked which team he supported in 2015.

While intending to refer to Aston Villa, the team he reportedly supports, Mr Cameron ended up saying West Ham during a speech in London.

Mr Cameron initially blamed the mix-up on “brain fade”.

Elsewhere in Mr Starmer’s interview with The Scotsman, he discussed the state of Scottish politics and his hopes for Scottish Labour to make some inroads in the upcoming Holyrood election.

Most politicians can tell a tale of falling foul when straying into territory they’re not 100% sure of.

Step forward Sir Keir Starmer, trying to court Scots through our famous fervour for football by discussing Dundee United.

However, he committed the terrible faux pas of referring to the Tangerines simply as “Dundee”.

A proper own goal, and not just with Arabs.

But as a Labour man, was he really ever going to win support from True Blues?

Sir Keir Starmer.