BBC One used to play the national anthem daily until 1997
Gary Lineker has responded to a Conservative MP who called for the BBC to play the national anthem every day.
BBC One used to play God Save the Queen daily until 1997, but MP Andrew Rosindell, the representative for Romford, believes that reintroducing the idea would help to provide a “great sense of unity and pride in our nation.”
He said: “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.
“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?”
"Will the minister take steps to encourage public broadcasters to play the national anthem?” asks Andrew Rosindell MP
“Fantastic question” replies Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries;
"We fully support the singing of the national anthem” Chris Philp addshttps://t.co/HAtvniJfSr pic.twitter.com/ckqSqnrAUm— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) January 6, 2022
His idea was met with a positive reaction by several government ministers inside the House of Commons with Chris Philip, the culture minister, claiming that the “more we hear the national anthem sung, frankly, the better”, while several others could be seen nodding in agreement.
Lineker on the other hand didn’t seem so keen and took to Twitter to express his feelings.
The broadcaster, who presents Match of the Day, suggested that playing the national anthem every night wouldn’t be the best of ideas.
“Yeah, let’s be less British and more North Korean,” he wrote.
Yeah, let’s be less British and more North Korean. 👊🏻 https://t.co/29tg5cRW7w
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) January 6, 2022
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that while it can’t be heard on BBC One daily, the national anthem is still played every night on Radio Four and can be heard during “appropriate times on television.”
They said, as per the Huffington Post: “The national anthem is played every night on Radio 4 after the late shipping forecast and we continue to play it at appropriate times on television, such as during the Queen’s Christmas broadcast.
“We no longer play the national anthem on a daily basis on BBC One because it doesn’t close down in the evening.”
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