Patriotism, or lack of it, seems all the rage at the moment, with the new Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, copping heavy stick from patriotic news groups, who are so patriotic they choose to be based in Bermuda to avoid the British taxation system.

Having seen a screaming quote on The Daily Mail website which read “Sing you traitor, sing!” did make me laugh, and as a friend of mine said, the appointment of Corbyn could well see an epidemic of Daily Mail readers meeting their maker courtesy of spontaneous combustion. Daily Mail readers are always so angry with people who do them no harm, advocating some sort of North Korean punishment on someone who doesn’t sing a national anthem.

The Daily Telegraph were at it as well also noting that “Mr Corbyn had turned up on foot for his first official engagement wearing a mismatched jacket and trousers with his shirt unbuttoned at the top.”

KILL HIM!

Corbyn: Non singing non matching jacket and trousers disaster

Personally, I don’t, and won’t sing ‘God Save the Queen’ because I don’t feel it is necessary to do so. I am a sceptic with regard to the existence of God and his ability to save anyone. I am even more sceptical as to whether singing to him (God) would save the woman who, if I am honest, I don’t really know that well, apart from a brief wave in my direction during the opening of a building at the AWE bomb factory when I was about ten years old.

If my theory was proved wrong and I could save people by singing to God (I am just being candid, not unpatriotic) the Queen wouldn’t even be on the reserves bench I’m afraid. I have my children, my girlfriend, my dad, my family and all my friends to think of here so to place the Queen above all of them would be disrespectful in my opinion as (I am hedging my bets here I know) I don’t reckon she would sing to God to save me!

“George, Harry…you are my children, but I’m afraid to say that because I suffer from a bizarre form of subservience, I wish to sing to God; to save the Queen and not you.

…Dad, you have had a good innings but I am sorry old chap, it’s a ‘no’ from me

…stop looking at me like that Jennifer….! “

That would be so wrong but what I will say is that if the Queen could sing to God and order him to see to it that I score a fifty for Oakley, this blog post could take a remarkable twist, and my children better watch their backs.

In all seriousness, being a supporter of a Monarchy does not make someone more patriotic than a Republican and if you don’t believe me and need to question my argument, you can easily put my theory to the test – it will require you to go to a small village in the Republic of France, tapping a local on the shoulder and saying ” vous etes un republicain et n’etes patriotique” (you are a republican and are not patriotic). It is at this point where, as an amateur writer, I must act responsibly and advise you to stand well back as you do so.

Corbyn, the man at the centre of these recent media attacks, has been bludgeoned with claims of lack of patriotism. But whether you agree with his ideologies or not, he is about as patriotic as it gets. He came from parents who served in the British war effort and fought hand to hand combat with the Blackshirts at the Battle of Cable Street and his (Corbyn’s) own socialist ideology is to end poverty, to create a stronger NHS and give every person born in the UK a socially cohesive society where everyone is given free education, healthcare and opportunity, from cradle to grave.

His ideology is irrelevant because what can’t be argued is that someone who has served the people of Islington as an MP for 28 years (without claiming false expenses once) is about as far away from being unpatriotic as it gets. Being unpatriotic would be running off to Spain after a million pound VAT dodge and opening a Union Jack decked bar called Corby’s.

Subservience is a very English thing, which I don’t have a problem with really, but I do object to people making claims that someone is unpatriotic because they don’t feel the need to put their fist on their chest and bellow out the national anthem at a memorial and sporting events, or indeed, put a massive poppy on their car radiator grill through the months of October and November.

Being unpatriotic in my opinion, is making lots of money out of this nation where you have used Health and Education services and then proceed to hide your wealth in foreign lands to avoid paying back into the very system which provides health for your workers, roads for them to drive on, and of course, the education system that taught them to read and write in the first place. Isn’t this unpatriotic?

So despite not singing God save the Queen or having any allegiance to her, I believe I am patriotic because I pay tax, I volunteer in community groups, I give to the red cross and cancer charities (when I have a bit of spare cash) and I love being part of the Hampshire life, which I think is far more patriotic than the newspaper groups embroiled in huge and aggressive UK tax avoidance by being based in places such as Bermuda.

I don’t care if people want to sing the National Anthem, especially if it inspires them or makes them feel good or proud or whatever the case may be, and I guess I don’t really care if people want to save the Queen by singing to God. But if you choose not to sing a song about her, it doesn’t dilute your patriotism so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

If you want to question patriotism check out the British tax avoidance schemes used by the tabloids trying to destroy someone who they are terrified might hold them to account for stealing money from the UK treasury.

Rather aptly, as is the new tone of my ‘new look’ blog posts, I will leave you with some music, this time from The Jam one of Britain’s finest bands, with their 1978 single News of the World.

The lyrics can be found by  clicking here they are worth looking at.