SNP Westminster leader says he will not support England at Euro 2024

Stephen Flynn previously expressed anger that Rishi Sunak's call for a summer general election forced him to cancel plans to personally support Scotland

According to bookmakers, England are favorites to win the tournament, while Scotland are 150/1 outsiders.

Scotland and England have the oldest rivalry in football, with a match between the countries in 1872 officially recognized as the first international.

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Opinion polls show the Scottish National Party is now at risk of losing dozens of the 48 Westminster seats it won in 2019.

A YouGov poll this week suggests Mr Flynn is set to retain his Aberdeen South seat, although he could be vulnerable if Unionists can be persuaded to vote tactically.

If Labor falls short of a majority and begins to rely to back the Scottish National Party, Mr Flynn suggested he would demand more public spending, rejoining the European single market, increased migration and progress on the independence referendum.

However, the Scottish National Party has also vowed never to help the Conservatives get into Downing Street, which would weaken their bargaining power in any post-election negotiations with Labour.

Sir Keir Starmer has categorically ruled out any deal with the SNP. .

Other SNP politicians have previously been careful not to say whether they would support England at major international football tournaments.

At the 2018 World Cup, for which Scotland failed to qualify, Ian Blackford, who was Westminster's SNP leader until Mr Flynn did not kick him out and said he would support Peru.

Nationalist MPs were later criticized for forcing parliamentary votes during England's crucial play-off match.

At the 2022 World Cup, for which Scotland also failed to qualify, Nicola Sturgeon, the then first minister, wished England well but suggested she was backing Wales.

Andy Murray, the Glasgow star tennis player, caused a storm controversy early in his career when, as a teenager, he admitted that he «would have supported whoever England played against» at the 2006 World Cup.

He later expressed regret over comments he said were intended to be joke.