There’s more to patriotism than the BBC playing the same song every day
I think it’s vaguely important to revisit the fact that last week, Romford’s Convervative MP, Andrew Rosindell, took up actual time in parliament – I am loth to describe this time as “precious” or anything, because come on, but it does feel like time spent talking out loud in the House of Commons has some sort of rudimentary value – to ask whether British broadcasters should be playing the national anthem more.
“I know the minister will agree that the singing of the national anthem is something that provides great sense of unity and pride in our nation,” Rosindell said, “so in this year of the Queen’s platinum jubilee, will the minister take steps to encourage public broadcasters to play the national anthem and ensure the BBC restores it at the end of the day’s programming before it switches to News 24?” It does make you wonder what people get into the MP-ing gig for, doesn’t it? Clearly, it’s to just get up in front of people and briefly make the most embarrassing suggestion in the world for that day.
Joel Golby is a writer for the Guardian and Vice and the author of Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant