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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/16/jeremy-corbyn-national-anthem-authenticity-queen-republican
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| Corbyn was right not to sing the national anthem. Authenticity is all he has | Corbyn was right not to sing the national anthem. Authenticity is all he has |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| How loudly should he have sung it? Should he have mumbled in perfunctory fashion? Should it have been a full-throated operatic rendition? Should he have loosened even further his tie to free restricted vocal cords? Oh please. Team Corbyn has made a few mistakes in the past few days, but this is not one of them. | |
| The only mistake in gestation is the hurried concession from “Labour sources” that he will sing it in future. | The only mistake in gestation is the hurried concession from “Labour sources” that he will sing it in future. |
| Let’s start with the practical politics. The contention is that a man – a republican – who was just swept to power on the basis that he means what he says and that he doesn’t tack and dissemble should within just a few days destroy that brand by doing something that everyone will know is insincere and unfamiliar to him. “God save our gracious Queen”, even though I would get rid of her and the entire edifice upon which she stands as soon as possible. There’s consistency for you. | Let’s start with the practical politics. The contention is that a man – a republican – who was just swept to power on the basis that he means what he says and that he doesn’t tack and dissemble should within just a few days destroy that brand by doing something that everyone will know is insincere and unfamiliar to him. “God save our gracious Queen”, even though I would get rid of her and the entire edifice upon which she stands as soon as possible. There’s consistency for you. |
| He might have ventured into the ensuing verses. The 'Rebellious Scots to crush' bit should go down well | He might have ventured into the ensuing verses. The 'Rebellious Scots to crush' bit should go down well |
| Should he have sung it all? He might have ventured – solo perhaps – into the ensuing verses. The “Rebellious Scots to crush” bit should go down well as he seeks to rebuild Labour there. | Should he have sung it all? He might have ventured – solo perhaps – into the ensuing verses. The “Rebellious Scots to crush” bit should go down well as he seeks to rebuild Labour there. |
| Shouldn’t we be past this kind of hysteria, even among the centrist voters he will have to attract if Labour is to have any chance of winning back votes? And if the decision is that he will sing in future, as part of the reaction triggered by politicians and media steeped in the old style of politics, what does that say about his professed “new kind of politics”? | Shouldn’t we be past this kind of hysteria, even among the centrist voters he will have to attract if Labour is to have any chance of winning back votes? And if the decision is that he will sing in future, as part of the reaction triggered by politicians and media steeped in the old style of politics, what does that say about his professed “new kind of politics”? |
| Singing the anthem only makes sense if you accept the monarch is representative of the people. If you think that flush is bust and that game is up, then basically the hope being expressed is that the elderly woman on the throne enjoys good health. I hope she does. I feel no need to croon about it. Non-believers go to church. No one harangues them if they don’t sing the hymns. | Singing the anthem only makes sense if you accept the monarch is representative of the people. If you think that flush is bust and that game is up, then basically the hope being expressed is that the elderly woman on the throne enjoys good health. I hope she does. I feel no need to croon about it. Non-believers go to church. No one harangues them if they don’t sing the hymns. |
| I have no problem with anthems. There are countries lucky enough to have anthems that refer to the land, to the links and solidarities of the people in the countries concerned. There are words and concepts that inspire. And let’s not forget the actual sound of what we are saddled with. There are certainly a good many less dirge-like than ours. | I have no problem with anthems. There are countries lucky enough to have anthems that refer to the land, to the links and solidarities of the people in the countries concerned. There are words and concepts that inspire. And let’s not forget the actual sound of what we are saddled with. There are certainly a good many less dirge-like than ours. |
| Related: The national anthem may stick in Corbyn’s craw, but it is his job to sing it | Anne Perkins | Related: The national anthem may stick in Corbyn’s craw, but it is his job to sing it | Anne Perkins |
| This is no isolated view. Asked to pick the best tune by the Commonwealth Games Council for England, 52% of respondents opted for William Blake’s Jerusalem. | This is no isolated view. Asked to pick the best tune by the Commonwealth Games Council for England, 52% of respondents opted for William Blake’s Jerusalem. |
| There will be those who say that Corbyn should have played the game and not to have done so was self-harm. But at the moment – with policies under assault, his past coming under new and increasing scrutiny – authenticity is all he has, whether the task at hand is to persuade a wider electorate or simply to remould the Labour party. | There will be those who say that Corbyn should have played the game and not to have done so was self-harm. But at the moment – with policies under assault, his past coming under new and increasing scrutiny – authenticity is all he has, whether the task at hand is to persuade a wider electorate or simply to remould the Labour party. |
| He went to the ceremony, he was respectful and he paid those respects in the way he believed appropriate – claiming a right to which we are all entitled in a free and democratic society. | He went to the ceremony, he was respectful and he paid those respects in the way he believed appropriate – claiming a right to which we are all entitled in a free and democratic society. |
| If the future plan of Labour strategists is to have him sing lustily at the next time of asking, and thus head off this firestorm, the plan will have limited effect. The next row will be about his jacket, or his shoes. These furores emerge from a template. | If the future plan of Labour strategists is to have him sing lustily at the next time of asking, and thus head off this firestorm, the plan will have limited effect. The next row will be about his jacket, or his shoes. These furores emerge from a template. |
| If he must sing, at least we know he can sing. On our Comment site this week, the filmmaker Nick Rosen said that late into the evening, when the campaigning is done, One Man Went To Mow is one of Corbyn’s sing-a-long favourites. | If he must sing, at least we know he can sing. On our Comment site this week, the filmmaker Nick Rosen said that late into the evening, when the campaigning is done, One Man Went To Mow is one of Corbyn’s sing-a-long favourites. |
| He could mumble God Save the Queen as fashioned by the Sex Pistols, but he’d never remember the words without a crib sheet. | He could mumble God Save the Queen as fashioned by the Sex Pistols, but he’d never remember the words without a crib sheet. |