MP Toby Perkins wants legislation to enable England teams to be greeted by their own anthem in the same way as Scotland and Wales.
Advertisement
One of the Queen’s cousins has said that “abandoning “God Save the Queen” would be seen by the monarch as rather rude and a silly idea”.
God Save the Queen, the national anthem for the United Kingdom as a whole, is now used for England during most sporting events.
However, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said he opposed Mr Perkins’ idea of an English anthem for “deep and serious reasons”.
I was very much struck by this at the Rugby International when England played Wales.
Campaign groups have long argued that Jerusalem should be adopted as England’s official anthem, but what other songs would be suitable?
Mr Perkins outlined his belief that the level of interest in his proposals shows it is time for Parliament “to catch up with public opinion and allow the voice of England to be heard”.
“I have to say you can’t always choose your friends in these matters”.
British lawmakers are debating a proposal to replace the royalist song as England’s anthem for sporting events.
Jerusalem, with words by William Blake and music by Hubert Parry, is a firm favourite among members. “What greater pleasure can there be for a true born English man or true born English woman to listen to our own national anthem, said Rees-Mogg”.
“People wrongly think it’s a hymn and object to the fact it references a Middle Eastern city, but Jerusalem was actually a metaphor for a better place”.
The first reading of Mr Perkins’ English National Anthem Bill was passed and will now be subject to a second Parliamentary debate in March.
Advertisement
However, without the support of the Government it is unlikely to ever become law.
