Could Germany beat Harry Kane's England at Euro 2024 and bury Rishi Sunak's election hopes?

Politics and football occasionally collide.

If Rishi Sunak decides to call a summer snap election, for July 4, then it would take place in the middle of Euro 2024.

One senior Tory MP described such a move as “insane”, more because the economy would have had more time to recover by the autumn and deportation flights to Rwanda may have started.

The footballing omens may also not be good for a July 4 general election.

Rewind to 1970 when England played West Germany in the quarter finals of the World Cup in Mexico.

The date was June 14.

England crashed out of the tournament in a shock surprise, having lifted the World Cup four years earlier.

The 1970 general election was held four days later on June 18.

With the nation still reeling from the blow to national prestige from the defeat by footballing arch rivals, Harold Wilson was ousted from No10, when the Conservatives, led by Edward Heath, pulled off a surprise victory.

There is no guarantee that Harry Kane’s England will play against the Euro 2024 hosts Germany this summer, but it is a distinct possibility.

England are in a group with Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia.

If they come top, and all the other results go in line with world rankings, England would play Austria, Romania or Turkey on June 30 in the last 16.

But if England slip up, and finish second in their group and all the other results go in line with world rankings, then Kane’s team could face Germany at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, on June 29 - just days before a July 4 general election.

So the result could set the mood in the final run-up to the country going to the polls.

A more recent precedent is the 2001 general election.

England played Greece on June 6, away, and won 2-0 in Athens, in a World Cup qualifier.

The return fixture at Old Trafford in October is better remembered for David Beckham’s “Bend it like Beckham” stoppage time free-kick.

But on the evening of June 6, Tory leader William Hague, who had spent his campaign touring the country with his “Save the Pound” message, did a rally at a hotel in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Tony Blair sat down for a pint to watch the England game in Trimdon Labour Club in his Sedgefield constituency.

Clearly in touch with the country then, he won another landslide victory, with a majority of 167.