Rejected petition The anthem should be changed to "Rule Britannia" or "Land of Hope and Glory".

The national anthem does not represent the nation. The national anthem should be "Rule Britannia" or "Land of Hope and Glory" as they are the best candidates to replace the anthem. The current anthem represents the monarch over the nation and does not promote solidarity within the United Kingdom.

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According to census data, the percent of people in the UK who are Christian is declining. Only 59.5% of people in the last census said they were Christian, with no religion taking 25.7% and non-stated taking 7.2%. Since the Queen is the Head of the Church of England it is clear the meaning of "God" in the anthem cannot be about Allah or Zeus.

The current anthem talks about "rebellious Scots to crush". This shows how the anthem does not represent the country.

The current anthem does not unify the country and "Rule Britannia" and "Land of Hope and Glory" are clearly the best alternatives. Many other proposals for alternatives are often England-specific, such as "Jerusalem".

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.

The use of the present National Anthem is a matter of tradition rather than having any legal or constitutional status.

You can find more information about the history and status of the national anthem here:

http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/NationalAnthem.aspx

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 30 January 2017
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