Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK needs to stop its “cringing embarrassment” about its history in a stunning rebuke of the corporation.
Mr Johnson was responding to news that only orchestral versions of Land of Hope and Glory and Rule, Britannia! will be played at this year’s Last Night of the Proms.
Outgoing BBC boss Tony Hall backed the Proms decision to play instrumental versions of the songs on its Last Night:
“I think they have come to the right conclusion.”
The Prime Minister told reporters:
“I cannot believe… that the BBC is saying that they will not sing the words of Land Of Hope And Glory or Rule Britannia! as they traditionally do at the end of The Last Night of The Proms.
I think it’s time we stopped our cringing embarrassment about our history, about our traditions, and about our culture, and we stopped this general fight of self-recrimination and wetness.
I wanted to get that off my chest.”
A Labour Party spokesperson also said:
“The pomp and pageantry of the Last Night of the Proms is a staple of British summer.
The running order is a matter for the organisers and the BBC, but enjoying patriotic songs does not – and should not – present a barrier to examining our past and learning lessons from it.”
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
