Together We Thrive

The 23rd Commonwealth Games opened tonight in Glasgow under this inspiring, if contentious, motto.

The British Empire Games began in 1930, becoming the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1950 before finally settling on its current name in 1966. Just through its changing titles it's possible to chart the evolving story over the years, not just of the sporting fixture itself but of British imperialism and colonialism. The pared-down, scaled-back nature of this year's Games compared with those last held in the Scottish city in 2014 seems to suggest a faltering present and an uncertain future. The Games were to have been held in Victoria, Australia, but in 2023 the state government announced it was pulling out on cost grounds so Glasgow came to the rescue and the King, Queen and Prime Minister will be there at tonight's opening ceremony.

The suspicion, though, must be that Australia, now less divided on the question of retaining the British monarch as its head of state, is still keen to shed this particular aspect of its British legacy. Recent polling indicates that about 59% of Australians would vote to retain the constitutional monarchy, representing a swing towards the monarchy since the referendum on the subject in 1999, so perhaps it says less about the British connection per se and more about a growing awkwardness with the residual trappings of Empire that the Commonwealth, and its four-yearly Games, seems to represent.

It was always apparent how genuinely committed to the Commonwealth the late Queen Elizabeth was. From her perspective I imagine it bolstered her own sense of purpose and relevance while continuing the legacy of her parents, the last King Emperor and Queen Empress. In reality, however, her position as its Head, like that of the institution itself, was always anomalous and, as time went on, increasingly problematic. Her son, though, pressed hard to ensure that he inherited the title on his mother's death, even when it had been strongly suggested by several member countries that one of their number should take on the role. But Charles was having none of it so now it falls to him to try to make the institution work at a time when serious and urgent questions are being raised about its legitimacy.

Although Glasgow has done its best to pull out the stops for these Games, albeit at short notice and with much-reduced resources, the uncomfortable status of LGBTQ+ communities in many of the member states has rightly drawn criticism. It will take more than a cutesy unicorn mascot called Finnie to sugarcoat the harsh reality that more than half of the 56 member states (29) have laws making homosexuality punishable by imprisonment or even death. The fact that the organisation allows membership to countries with the death penalty is troubling in itself
 but for it to be on the basis of whom one loves is outrageous. All credit, therefore, to those campaigners in Glasgow tying black ribbons to the flagpoles of countries outlawing gay relationships. For too long a blind eye has been turned by the British Establishment to the human rights abuses of many member states. Glasgow could signal the beginning of the end for that and we must hope, and lobby, for it.

If we are truly to thrive together we must learn to live together - in all our glorious diversity

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