https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ation-day-song

https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...one-nation-day

Un Bloody Believable!

The education secretary has provoked outrage – both real and amused – for suggesting children should sing the song on Friday to mark “One Britain, One Nation” (OBON) day. Williamson has praised the campaign by a former policeman, Kash Singh, and encouraged all schools to take part.

A video of the song sung by Bradford children features the flags of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Footage shows them waving union jacks and posing for group photos holding the “OBON” banner. The lyrics say: “We are British and we have one dream / To unite all people in one great team.” The song ends with the words: “Strong Britain, Great Nation!” repeated four times.

Critics gleefully pointed out that most Scottish schools will have already broken up by Friday for the summer holidays. And, they note, Northern Ireland is not a part of Great Britain. Others have gone further – posting memes with Boris Johnson’s face pasted on the body of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

There have been inevitable comparisons with the Hitler Youth and with the school song sung by millions of young East German communist pioneers: “Uns’re Heimat”, or “Our homeland”. Some have suggested alternative patriotic anthems, including the Sex Pistols 1976 chart-topper God Save the Queen or Pink Floyd’s We Don’t Need No Education. Comments have ranged from “brain-washing” and “stomach-churning”, to “hyper-creepy”.

Even the usually flag-waving Daily Express struck a sceptical note on Wednesday, reporting that some parents have threatened to boycott the event and to take their children out of school in protest. “Leaving aside the significant concern that this all seems very Hitler Youth, why on earth are you encouraging singing in schools during a global pandemic when cases are rising in schools?” one tweeted at Williamson.

Meanwhile, the LBC host James O’Brien played the “One Britain, One Nation” song on his show on Wednesday while standing ironically to attention. Striking a tone both weary and incredulous, he said: “I wish I was joking. It’s real. It’s actually real. I don’t know how much time we can spend on it without collapsing into fits of giggles coupled with a really weird sense of desolation.”


(Copied out some extracts so Mozzer doesn't have to open a Guardian link!)