From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpolitical footballpolitical footballPROBLEMa difficult problem which opposing politicians argue about or which each side deals with in a way that will bring them advantage Funding of the health service has become a political football. → political
Examples from the Corpus
political football• Airline safety has become a political football.• But can the game afford to hold its showpiece in an unstable country where sport is a political football?• I urge him to stop any move to allow the barrage project to continue to be used as a party political football.• In recent years funding and management of the health service has become something of a political football.• The Treasury felt strongly that changes in taxation for purposes of stabilising employment would immediately become a political football.• The use of education as a political football has entered the language as a cliché.• Abortion is becoming a political football misrepresented by the right to raise money and advance political agendas. 