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MPs Seek New English National Anthem | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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MPs Seek New English National Anthem


MPs Seek New English National Anthem

MPs Seek New English National Anthem

The first voting to choose a new anthem for England was held on Wednesday in the House of Commons. The proposal was presented by Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins, who believes that England needs its own anthem, like the ones enjoyed by Scotland and Wales.

The spokesman for Perkins told Asharq Al-Awsat, in a phone call, that Perkins wants England to have its own anthem, a thing that never happened before. He added that the MPs have given initial support to the idea of England adopting an official national anthem, and the idea will be discussed again at a second reading on 4 March.

God Save the Queen, the national anthem for the UK as a whole, is currently used for England during most sporting events.

MP Toby Perkins, who says the anthem should “celebrate England rather than Britain,” stated the following: “I have nothing against God Save the Queen but that is the national anthem of the United Kingdom.”

Many activists and MPs in the British Parliament support the idea, including Member Gareth Young, who said that he prefers “Jerusalem” song. “It’s a beautiful song and it actually mentions and is about England, unlike its competitors,” he said.

Young added, “people wrongly think it’s a hymn and also object to the fact that it references a Middle Eastern city” but said these objections were “largely based on ignorance” as Jerusalem was a metaphor for a better place.

In case the bill of changing the anthem gets approved, then it would bestow a responsibility on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to hold a consultation across the UK. Mr. Perkins suggested that there could even be contests to select a song.