Published in : 01/13/2016 – 21:34Modified : 01/14/2016 – 10:18

In the United Kingdom, “God save the Queen” no longer resonates much in the stands. The British parliamentarian, Toby Perkins, officially requested, on Wednesday, January 13, that sports teams representing England can have their own anthem, just like the Welsh or Scottish teams.

“I watched England-Wales during the Rugby World Cup and it caught my attention: the Welsh sing the Welsh national anthem while the English sing the British national anthem,” the Labor MP said. Euros. “I think it's time to have a conversation about it to see what people think.”

“God save the Queen” is in fact the anthem used by the three British nations (England, Wales and Scotland), as well as Northern Ireland.

According to Perkins, his petition has sparked “great interest” and he now wants the Government to launch a public consultation on the issue.

“God save the Queen” vs “Jerusalem”

In particular, he proposes that English teams sing “Jerusalem”, derived from a poem by William Blake from 1808, and which is currently used on the sidelines of certain English rugby and cricket matches.

“Land of Hope and Glory” or “There Will Always Be an England” are also possibilities.

The proposal was accepted and will be proposed for second reading in March. However, if it is not supported by the Conservative government, it should not result in a formal law.

British Prime Minister David Cameron reacted by saying he was “glad there is a debate” on the issue, according to his spokesman. “The most important thing about an anthem is that it be sung with pride,” he said.

The Welsh sing “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”, literally “Land of my fathers”, while the Scots sing “Flowers of Scotland”.

With AFP