Britons have blasted an ‘insane’ and ‘bloody awful’ One Britain song after it went viral online ahead of so-called One Britain, One Nation day.
The song, which appears to have Government backing, provoked ridicule after it went viral online, with critics calling it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘an embarrassment’.
Parents have pointed out the irony of Scottish children being unable to join in because schools there break up before One Britain One Nation day on June 25.
Others questioned whether teachers had been given enough notice to teach children the words.
On Monday the Department for Education’s official Twitter account promoted the OBON day and linked to its website. OBON wants schools to hold a minute’s applause on Friday and sing the song.
The song’s creators say it promotes ‘love and unity’ and encourages all pupils to show ‘love for our great nation’.
But the video soon went viral online as the nation appeared to unite against the song, calling it ‘ridiculous’, ‘pernicious dross’ and ‘a party political move’.
Schools are being encouraged to adopt a bizarre song to celebrate a ‘One Britain One Nation’ day this Friday. OBON wants schools to hold a minute’s applause on Friday and sing the song. Pictured: People hold up a OBON flag
On Monday the Department for Education’s official Twitter account (pictured) promoted the OBON day and linked to its website. OBON wants schools to hold a minute’s applause on Friday and sing the song
The song is called ‘We are Britain and we have one dream, to unite all people in one great team’, which are also the words of the chorus.
It also includes the lines: ‘Our nation survived through many storms and many wars/We’ve opened our doors, and widened our island’s shores/We celebrate our differences with love in our hearts/United for ever, never apart.’
The tune was composed by children and their music teacher at St John’s CofE Primary in Bradford, and adopted by the One Britain One Nation campaign, set up by former police officer Kash Singh.
The idea has been derided by one of the Conservative Party’s own MPs, Caroline Nokes.
The MP for Romsey and Southampton North retweeted a preview of the OBON song saying: ‘I can’t unhear this (however fervently I wish I could).’
Meanwhile, actress Joanna Lumley has expressed strong support for the organisation, according to the OBON website.
In a statement on the site, she said: ‘The aims and aspirations of OBON are extremely impressive and timely.
‘I wish the project all the success it so richly deserves and I support its vision of one nation with all my heart.’
A slew of derision has been posted online since yesterday.
One user said: ‘To what terrible parallel universe have I been transported?’
Another said: ‘They should put that song into Eurovision. They hate us as it is, so we might as well go for broke.’
A third said: ‘It’s just so bad. It still manages to gets worse every single time you hear it.’ A fourth said: ‘Anyone who tweets that ridiculous One Britain song in my timeline earns an automatic block.’
Another added: ‘Please don’t tell me the Tories really turned our country into such an embarrassment?’
Others complained One Britain One Nation day was leaving out Scottish children, who will have broken up for their summer holidays by then.
Most Scottish schools will end term on June 23, two days before the national day.
One said: ‘Scotland’s schools finish before the 25th of June ! Do some some research.’
Another added: ‘This uniting song to be sung by all kids in the great one nation on 25th is when Scots kids are on holiday. How can u not see this constant flag waving is odd?’
‘Apart from the fact that this nation within your ‘one nation’ is on summer holiday, that song is just down right creepy. Sack whoever had that idea,’ said another.
Others just hated the song itself, while a few tried to stick up for the children who wrote it.
One said: ‘I know people have been having fun about the One Nation song but this song was written by schoolchildren. It isn’t their fault is has been used by adults to impose it on the rest of us. Be kind and remember how you would feel if you were one of those children.’
But others were less diplomatic.
One added: ‘This song is pernicious dross. Idiotic sentiments and a crap tune. And ‘one nation’ is a longstanding Conservative slogan, so it’s an unambiguous party political move.’
A slew of derision has been posted online since the song went viral yesterday
Another said: ‘My youngest who is still at school will not be singing this. Like most things the government come up with nowadays, it’s abhorrent.’
One added: ‘I think One Britain One Nation should be cancelled on the grounds it’s a bloody awful song.’
Another wrote: ‘I had absolutely, genuinely assumed this ‘One Nation’ song thing was a spoof. It’s not? What the hell?! That’s insane.’
Others doubted teachers’ ability to teach the song to children with such short notice.
One wrote: ‘Do they expect primary school kids to learn a song in the space of a week? They start rehearsing the nativity in Sept.’
The One Nation campaign lists its aim as being ‘to create, a strong, fair, harmonious and a proud British Nation, celebrating patriotism and respect for all our people’.
‘OBON day’ is scheduled for Friday, June 25, and the campaign wants children to sing the official song.
It calls on schools to hold a minute’s applause on the designated day – June 25 – and sing the official song or play it through the school’s tannoy system.
Schools are also encouraged to dress children in red, white and blue for the day and ‘allow children to unpack the meaning of shared values of British Citizenship’.
No 10 said the Department for Education (DfE) had not asked anyone to sing songs for One Britain One Nation Day (OBON).
Asked whether it was sensible for the department to encourage schoolchildren to sing the OBON patriotic song on Friday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister supports schools promoting fundamental British values, including tolerance and respect, and we endorse One Britain One Nation’s aims to help children learn about equality, kindness, pride, but I will point out the department has not asked people to sing songs or promoting any specific materials for One Britain One Nation day.’
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she first assumed the UK Government’s backing for the idea was a ‘spoof’ when she saw it on social media.
The One Britain campaign was set up by former police officer Kash Singh (pictured)
Speaking after meeting with EU citizens living in Scotland and organisations supporting people to apply for settled status to remain in the UK, she said: ‘I’m trying to imagine the outrage there would be if the Scottish Government was insisting or even encouraging Scottish school kids to sing some song about how great Scotland is.
‘People would be – and rightly so – up in arms about it.
‘It’s ludicrous and it perhaps says everything about the disinterest the UK Government has in Scotland that they’re asking this to happen on the day Scottish schools go off on their holiday.
‘Every aspect of it is ludicrous and I think it says sadly so much that we know about the misguided priorities, the hypocrisy and just the ridiculous nature of a lot of what this UK Government is doing.
‘Meanwhile, EU citizens that have been here for most of the lives and are working so hard to help make the country what it is are having to jump through hoops to stay here.’
Mr Singh said the concept was ‘born from my dream as a police officer’ after coming to the UK as a six-year-old boy who ‘couldn’t speak a word of English’.
He said he set up the campaign in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in 2013 after retiring from the police force in 2012.
Mr Singh told Times Radio: ‘We started the concept in Bradford and West Yorkshire, and it’s been very, very successful indeed, so what we want to look at is taking it across the nation.
‘It was something that was born from my dream as a police officer, in terms of what I’d see, in terms of my passion, pride and frustration, and something that I feel needed to be done in this country.
‘This country is a brilliant country. I came to this country as a six-year-old kid who couldn’t speak a word of English. My parents were labourers, they worked in a factory and foundry, and there are fantastic people in this country.
‘One of the things that was missing for me was what we need to do, is we need an organisation that the people of this country can align themselves to, to showcase their passion, pride and love for this great nation.
‘Some people may have this perception that not everybody is proud of this country – let me tell you, people like me, and the millions of people who’ve settled in this country from other parts of the world, are so proud of this country.
‘I think we need to celebrate that and create this spirit of oneness and togetherness, and showcase that we’re all one people of this country regardless of where you’re from.’