National anthem 'could be anti-Scots'

By Gary Cleland
Last Updated: 1:03pm GMT 03/12/2007

The national anthem is not inclusive and should perhaps be changed, Lord Goldsmith, the former attorney general now leading a citizenship review for Gordon Brown, has suggested.

The full lyrics to God Save the Queen:

1. God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen
God save the Queen
Send her victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the Queen

2. O Lord our God arise
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks
On Thee our hopes we fix
God save us all

3. Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour
Long may she reign
May she defend our laws
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen

4. Not in this land alone
But be God's mercies known
From shore to shore
Lord make the nations see
That men should brothers be
And form one family
The wide world over

5. From every latent foe
From the assassins blow
God save the Queen
O'er her thine arm extend
For Britain's sake defend
Our mother, prince, and friend
God save the Queen

6. Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the King


He said that there were problems with some of the later verses of the anthem, which refer to "rebellious Scots" being crushed.

Lord Goldsmith said: "Part of it is not actually that inclusive, but that's if you go on to the later verses.

"Some people have suggested we might think about whether there are different words that might be put in place which would be more inclusive."

But last night, Number 10 made clear that Lord Goldsmith's plan was not backed by Gordon Brown, himself a Scot representing a Scottish constituency.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "This does not reflect the Government's views.

"We are proud of our national anthem and the traditions it represents."

Lord Goldsmith's suggestion also brought an immediate rebuke from a Tory MP who warned that such a change could lead to the "unravelling all sorts of things".

Andrew Rosindell, MP for Romford in Essex, told the Daily Telegraph: "I don't think we need to change the national anthem. It's an historic anthem."

Mr Rosindell, who two years ago complained that the national anthem was no longer played at the end of main programming each night on BBC1, also dismissed calls for the Welsh Dragon to be added to the Union flag.

__________________________________________________________________________________


This is symptomatic of this fucking gov't.


How would I change it? I wouldn't.

For a substantial part of our history, England and Scotland were at war or having one fracas or another with one another; form Wallace in the 13th Century, to the Act of Union in 1707.

Now I know Brown's been referred to as 'Stalin', and not without merit, but what's his game here? Is he now trying, as did his mentor, to airbrush out the parts of our history which don't suit him?

How far does he want to go back in his airbrushing of inconvenient truths? The Romans? The Vikings? The Angles & Saxons?

Has he called in the HSE yet to do a survey on whether the National Anthem is 'safe' for all to use?

Typical of this Gov't - tinker with everything and change nothing; unless, of course, it's another one of Gordy's new stealth taxes.

What's wrong, Gordy, the last verse too uncomfortable for you and your inherited-from-Blair Scottish Mafia in Cabinet? Maybe you could airbrush out Des Brown's Scottish Secretary position and make him a full-time Secretary of Defence?

You're a dissembler, a charlatan and a disgrace, sir, and the sooner you've all gone from office, the better.

PS: to whom should I apply for my new ID card? You shower, or the guy selling my personal details on the street corner after you bunch of wasters lost them?

______________________________________________

"Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat its mistakes..."

Goldsmith is a prat of the first order.

The "offending" verse (the 4th verse at the time) was written during one of the Jacobite rebellions, in this case the 1745-46 rebellion, as a rebel army was closing on London whilst loyal soldiers were fighting on the Continent.

The verse did not offend loyal Scots (The majority). The Lowlands were pro King and Government as were many highlanders, particularly in the east and north who wanted the "rebellious" Scots crushed as much as any. Scotland supplied many of the soldiers of Cumberland's army (including those in English regiments who recruited in Scotland) which thrashed the Teuchter trouble-making gits on Drumossie Morr (Culloden) in 1746. These rebellious Scots came from a minority of the Highland clans but such facts are distorted by time, folklore and unscrupulous Scottish "nationalists". It was not helped by Queen Victoria having the battle honour "Culloden" removed from regimental colours.

The Labour Party, on gaining power after WW2 added a verse which is shown in the above lyrics as the fourth verse but it was never accepted. I don't know when the other verse was supposedly added. In fact the anthem generally consists of only the first verse although the second is very occasionally sung. The third is only sung, as far as I know at the last night of the proms. All others were dropped a long time ago. Today we only have three verses.