Westminstenders: Long live liberalism

[RedToothBrush]

Talk of its demise are premature.

(Sorry up to eyeballs this weekend)

Not sure I can see why it's use is "crap like this". Can see other things to be bothered about in the EU way before the anthem. I agree but it's grating in a way I can't explain.

Problem is @DGRossetti even if you change England to Britain, you are missing out NI. We didn't learn Jerusalem at school- most people were Irish descent, or Italian descent or Polish descent.

Ok fair enough derxa.

I mention Jerusalem as (a) my favourite hymn at school, (b) a much misunderstood poem by one of Britains better poets and (c) it's one of Prince Charles favourites too. He even did a BBC documentary on the life of Parry - suggesting the nation lost a national treasure presenter when he decided to be Prince of Wales.
I don't think it would go down well with prettybird

Even domestic appliances and phones have 'anthems'.

Jerusalem
I like the Emerson, Lake and Palmer version (all sadly RIP) played VERY LOUD.

My main problem with Jerusalem as an anthem is that it's so fucking high no normal person can actually sing it. what's the point of an anthem no one can sing? However I do believe it is currently classed as the 'English' national anthem - even if nothing is signed into officialdom. At the commonwealth games, where the four component parts of the UK compete separately, they all play a different anthem when one of their athletes gets the gold. England plays 'Jerusalem' and NI play 'Danny Boy', I think.
If Jerusalem then went on to become the whole UK anthem it would be (quite rightly) regarded as massive English imperialism - even if we changed some of the words as a sop.

The Rugby World Cup also has its own anthem: World in Union

We'll be hearing it a lot again later this year: the current version sung be the Japanese artist Kiyoe Yoshioka.

I don't have a problem with Jerusalem as an anthem for England

I do have a problem with England using GSTQ as their anthem while it is also used as the UK anthem . (I'll ignore the unsung contentious verse that says "Rebellious Scots to Crush" as some people claim it was never formally part of it ) It reinforces the English conflation of England with the UK For the Commonwealth Games they use Land of Hope and Glory

GSTQ used to be used before Scottish sporting matches but after being consistently booed over, rugby started using "Flower of Scotland" (initially alongside rather than instead of GSTQ) and football used "Scots wha hae" - before all the sports coalesced on Flower of Scotland ( without GSTQ )

Sorry - I got it wrong. England changed from Land of Hope & Glory to Jerusalem for the Commonwealth Games

Just in

Christine Lagarde to take over as head of the ECB

None of you have mentioned
My hen wlad fy nhadau

Come on, you can't all be John Redwood posting under different user names.

A new head picked by EU leaders. What do you mean they held some sort of election? Wasn't it all supposed to be dictated to by the Germans? I think Leavers should tell us what they mean by 'unelected'.

BTW who elected our Queen, or the previous King?

Happy to have Jerusalem as an English anthem, then.

But please - anything but GSTQ as a UK anthem. It's a dirgefest. Even Leonard Cohen said it was "depressing beyond belief".

Even The Birdy Song, or Agadoo would be an improvement.

I agree: GSTQ is a dirge So is Flower of Scotland - but for the moment, its words serve a purpose

Ursula von der Leyen picked to replace Juncker.

The main argument for keeping GSTQ is that it isn't Jerusalem! The tune's good, but the words are drivel and it's far too associated with the flag-waving Last Night of the Proms tendency IMHO.

The tune of GTSQ is shared by Liechtenstein. What happens at sporting occasions when England plays them? Do they play it twice, or play it twice as loud?

The theme to The Archers? As suggested by Billy Connolly?

Aka Barwick Green

am I dreaming, or did the execrable BJ say something to day about the Irish backstop being moral blackmail?? I need to find out more.

am I dreaming, or did the execrable BJ say something to day about the Irish backstop being moral blackmail?? I need to find out more.

Yup he said that.

news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-claims-brexit-backstop-is-terrible-moral-blackmail-on-uk-government-11755325

Everyone knows that GSTQ is actually called 'America (My Country Tis of Thee)'

Maybe this version should be adopted, and everyone could sing it like Kelly Clarkson

I'm confused re. The backstop.
What's the issue with putting a hard border in?