Tories demand BBC restart playing National Anthem daily on television

Tories urge BBC to return to playing the National Anthem at the end of every day on television to increase ‘unity and pride in our nation’

• Andrew Rosindell said anthem should be played more in Queen’s jubilee year
• Romford MP wants tune played at the end of the day’s programming on BBC One
• Was previously played at shutdown but channels no longer cease broadcasting 

The BBC should restart playing the national anthem at the end of every day’s broadcasts to foster ‘unity and pride in our nation’, a Tory MP claimed today. 

Romford MP Andrew Rosindell said the public broadcaster and other television companies should be encouraged to play the patriotic number more often in the year of the Queen’s platinum jubilee. 

The anthem is still played nightly on radio channels like Radio 4, and was previously played at the end of broadcast on television channels. 

But since the late 1990s BBC One has run the BBC News Channel overnight from around 1am, while BBC Two plays repeats of daytime shows in the small hours.

At culture questions today, Mr Rosenidell – sporting a Union Jack lapel badge – asked: ‘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?’

Romford MP Andrew Rosindell said the public broadcaster and other television companies should be encouraged to play the patriotic number more often in the year of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The anthem is still played nightly on radio channels like Radio 4, and was previously played at the end of broadcast on television channels, when the test card would be shown (above)

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries could be heard saying ‘fantastic’ and Culture Minister Chris Philp told MPs: ‘We fully support the signing of the national anthem, Her Majesty the Queen and other expressions of patriotism – including the flying of the Union Jack.

‘The more that we hear the national anthem sung, frankly, the better. Organisations like schools are free to promote it and the more we can do in this area the better it’ll be.’

In the same session, Conservative former minister Sir Christopher Chope urged the Government to remove the power of the BBC to enforce sanctions against over-75s who have not paid the TV licence fee.

The MP for Christchurch said: ‘Do we trust the BBC? Wouldn’t it be much better to remove the power of the BBC to enforce sanctions by the criminal law against those who are over 75, who are supporting a policy that the Government says it also supports?’

Ms Dorries said the issue is ‘something which remains very much under review and on my desk’, adding: ‘The BBC has confirmed that no enforcement action has been taken, they recently began customer care visits to people over 75 who may need additional support in paying the TV licence.’

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