Goodbye ‘God Save the Queen’? UK debates new England anthem

Campaign group England In My Heart is urging for the wedding favourite Jerusalem to be adopted as the country’s new national anthem.

MPs in Westminster will vote today on whether England should adopt its own official national anthem, which could prompt Northern Ireland to do the same.

MP Toby Perkins wants legislation to enable England teams to be greeted by their own anthem in the same way as Scotland and Wales.

It would surely mean that instead of going through God Save the Queen at sporting events, football, rugby and cricket teams and all the other sports people of England will be able to belt out something else.

Olympian Roger Black says “God save the Queen” is one of the best anthems in the world, but thinks athletes from Scotland and Wales show more passion when singing their respective anthems, “Flower of Scotland” and “Land of my Fathers”.

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”.

“It reflects a sense that we see Britain and England as synonymous. And then we were representing England but we were singing the British anthem”, Perkins said.

Campaigners plan to drive a van around Parliament Square playing Jerusalem to draw attention to the proposed bill.

Mr Perkins suggested there could be an “X Factor style programme” to look at the available options. “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”.

“England is different from Britain and I think there should be a conversation about that”.

MPs approved Mr Perkin’s ten-minute rule motion and the Bill is scheduled to have its second reading on Friday 4 March.