One Britain one nation?

[birchesgreen]

Will your children be singing the One Britain One Nation anthem on the 25th?

OBON DAY 25th June 2021 Campaign

www.onebritainonenation.com

OBON recognises that every parent, carer in the whole world over only wants the very best for their children and they want to see their children grow up feeling safe and protected. They want to see their children loved feeling happy and valued so that they can feel that they belong in their families, their school and their communities.

OBON wants to inspire our children to be the very best they can be by developing their self-esteem so that every child has this belief that they matter and are able to accomplish and realise their full potential. They want every child to be responsible, active and engaged in developing a sense of civic pride by championing our shared values of British Citizenship so that every child is learning what it is to be fair, decent, respectful, tolerant and compassionate.

OBON wants to see every child develop a strong emotional and meaningful connection with our country and its people by recognising that we are all one people with a role to play in the life of our nation where everyone must feel happy, safe and valued.

OBON wants to create a spirit of inclusion with a collective purpose and a common future where we all seek to eliminate hatred, intolerance and discrimination of any kind so that all our people can feel and develop a strong and shared sense of belonging in order to showcase their pride, passion and love for our great nation.

We need the support of your school to celebrate the day in the spirit it is intended and as outlined in the OBON DAY 2021 brochure but to do the following as a MUST please:

At 10am on Friday 25th June 2021.

Encourage every child in your school to clap for a minute to recognise, embrace and pay tribute to all those people who helped during the Covid 19 pandemic crisis.

First i've heard of this OBON thing, sounds remarkably unBritish to me to be honest...

I suspect it is really just a way to pump more public money into the bank accounts of friends and family of cabinet ministers but hey i'm cynical.

 

[chris_in_salop]

It's another bit of culture war fluff. Announce 3 days before the event that schoolchildren need to learn a special song. Then when it turns out that schools haven't managed total compliance, create a panic about lazy leftie teachers, feral youth, etc.

 

[Class465pacer]

Sounds like something you’d hear in North Korea

 

[OuterDistant]

Never heard of it.

Needs a long winded explanation.

Reads like a Facebook hoax.

In short, it's bollocks.

 

[AlterEgo]

Laughed out loud at this yesterday when I saw it. Intolerable levels of cringe.

 

[daodao]

In German it would translate as "Ein ..., ein ....", which I won't complete so as not to cause offence.

IMO, it is only a matter of time before the UK [as a single sovereign country] disintegrates. I recall that on the morning of 19th September 1997 one (now-disgraced) leading politician correctly described devolution as a process, not an event.

If the UK is one country, why are its constituent parts participating separately in Euro2020?

 

[Snow1964]

One Britain, rather Insular in whole planet terms

timing is rather ironic as news headlines are £-800m for become a nation isolated from Europe (was it really 5 years ago)

The real ‘Brexit dividend’? Minus £800m a week – and counting

Analysis: It’s five years since Britain voted to leave the EU – so what number should really have been on the side of the Vote Leave bus? Ben Chu examines the real impact of Brexit on the UK’s economy

www.independent.co.uk

Vote Leave highlighted the cost of the UK’s EU budget contributions – but studies indicate the damage from the Brexit vote had already cost the UK economy between £400m and £800m a week by the end of 2019

 

[DelW]

I imagine it'll go down like a lead balloon in Scotland, Wales and parts of Northern Ireland.

 

[alex397]

This seems to be part of a slippery slope considering all the other things the government are pushing through, slowly and steadily.

 

[Typhoon]

I imagine it'll go down like a lead balloon in Scotland, Wales and parts of Northern Ireland.

Definitely, Britain does not include them. They are part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, (For the moment at least).

I've looked at the five nearest primary schools to me, none seem to be 'celebrating' OBON. They might of, course, say that they teach "tolerance, kindness, pride and respect" 195 days a year, not one! Another excuse for the likes of Williamson to be dragged away from his day job. There was a head and a parent this morning complaining that they did not know whether 'bubbles' were going to continue in the autumn because they will have to plan for it in advance, unlike the DoE, which alerted schools of OBON on Monday.

 

[Gloster]

One thing I do not like about this is that they seem to be trying to link it with support for Covid workers: start with that, get it established and them move it across to a more nationalistic or xenophobic event. And will there be be ‘tolerance’ for those who do not want to partake?

On another level this could be a point where government behaviour turns the corner. Are we going to see a ‘Boris Youth’ in shorts and brown shirts with armbands or a ‘League of British Maidens’ all being taught to praise the leader? I am half joking here, but that it is only half is worrying.

 

[NSEFAN]

"Let's clap our hands for the NHS " is a bit of a cop out when "Let's properly manage and fund the NHS" is what's actually needed...

 

[Typhoon]

Someone is not 'on message', Caroline Nokes (MP for Romsey and Southampton North, and Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee) has tweeted 'I can’t unhear this (however fervently I wish I could)'. Heed the warning, I didn't, I was inquisitive; we've never had a Eurovision song that bad.

I've also found out it is School Diversity Week ('It's a fantastic way to make your school safer, happier and more welcoming for pupils who may be LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) or have LGBT+ families.')

(Quote from https://www.justlikeus.org/school-d...al,1.97 million pupils signed up to take part..

I'm starting to get suspicious ....

 

[ainsworth74]

Sounds like something you’d hear in North Korea

Hey now! North Korea would actually manage something which was a bit more tuneful and less cringeworthy!

 

[Darandio]

"I pledge allegiance to the flag..........."

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Obon reversed: No, Bo Jo!

 

[nlogax]

Not sure what feels worse. The absolute internal cringe that this induces in me or the anger that I feel with an initiative that (and I can't decide which) either completely ignores what's happened in the UK over the last six to seven years, or is a half-arsed and superficial publicity stunt acting as some societal glue.

 

[Typhoon]

I imagine it'll go down like a lead balloon in Scotland, Wales and parts of Northern Ireland.

They won't be singing it in at least some Scottish schools - schools break up in the Borders and Inverclyde today, Angus, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow and Fife tomorrow. Probably more

Sources:- https://glasgow.gov.uk/article/17024/School-Term-Dates, https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20009/schools_and_learning/621/term_holiday_and_closure_dates https://www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/art...fife/school-holidays,-term,-and-closure-dates [ur]https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/info/200140/education_and_learning/82/school_holidays[/URL]

 

[GatwickDepress]

The whole idea is ridiculous and cringeworthy, but I cannot get over what a complete dirge the song is.

Hey now! North Korea would actually manage something which was a bit more tuneful and less cringeworthy!

I've never felt so inspired by carpet production before!

 

[gordonthemoron]

The flag high! The ranks tightly closed!SA marches with a calm, firm pace.Comrades whom Red Front and Reaction shot deadMarch in spirit within our ranks.[Make] The street free for the brown battalions;[Make] The street free for the SA man!Already millions are looking to the swastika, full of hope;The day of freedom and bread is dawning.Rollcall has sounded for the last time!We are all prepared for the fight!Soon Hitler-flags will flutter over barricades.Our servitude will not last much longer now!The flag high! The ranks tightly closed!SA marches with a calm, firm pace.Comrades whom Red Front and Reaction shot deadMarch in spirit within our ranks.

 

[507021]

I've just contacted my daughters' school to ask if they were taking part in this.

The answer was a very emphatic "no".

 

[Senex]

In German it would translate as "Ein ..., ein ....", which I won't complete so as not to cause offence.

Well put!

 

[edwin_m]

Another excuse for the likes of Williamson to be dragged away from his day job.

If it drags Williamson away from his day job it can't be all bad. The further the better.

 

[ABB125]

I have no objection to patriotism and supporting/believing in Britain etc (which for some reason seems to be frowned upon by quite a few people in this country).

However, that song is so utterly cringeworthy, repetitive and actually quite depressing to listen to (I think that's the "children singing effect", rather than the lyrics; though the music isn't exactly very cheery either - someone playing a drum kit doesn't equal an upbeat song!). I had a look at the music score, and it was rather confusing: the tune for the lyrics doesn't have a separate stave*, it's incorporated into the piano part (the only part!), so isn't particularly easy to follow, especially for a child at primary school (assuming that the score is used; I suspect most schools would teach the song by ear). So it's basically rubbish: rubbish lyrics, rubbish tune, rubbish "backing track", rubbish presentation.

*I've had a complete mind blank as to what the correct term is; I mean the set of five parallel horizontal lines, upon which the notes are placed.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If people who lean left are saying "This is like Nazi Germany!" and people who lean right are saying "This is like North Korea!" then on balance, it is almost certainly a bad idea regardless of intent.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

It's another bit of culture war fluff. Announce 3 days before the event that schoolchildren need to learn a special song. Then when it turns out that schools haven't managed total compliance, create a panic about lazy leftie teachers, feral youth, etc.

I think you're making most of that up.

Sounds like something you’d hear in North Korea

This seems to be part of a slippery slope considering all the other things the government are pushing through, slowly and steadily.

Wow, how negative everyone is being! Have we really degenerated so far in terms of civic pride and basic patriotism that an organisation who's self-stated vision is to "To create, a strong, fair, harmonious and a proud British Nation, celebrating patriotism and respect for all our people." is denounced as being part of a slippery slope or as something like North Korea.

Sure, the song is a bit cringeworthy, but that's a matter of artistic taste rather than principle. Looking at the stated aims and mission, I can't see anything the aims that looks particularly objectionable. My only real concern looking through the site is that it gives the impression of being a campaigning group, but as far as I can see, it has no indication of any democratic structure or any way for anyone to get involved with it. Combined with the glowing profile of the founder, it rather gives the impression of being one person's (rather expensive) vanity project rather than a serious organisation. My best guess is it'll just exist as a website for a year or so than disappear. Still, I can't really fault the aims though.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Wow, how negative everyone is being! Have we really degenerated so far in terms of civic pride and basic patriotism that an organisation who's self-stated vision is to "To create, a strong, fair, harmonious and a proud British Nation, celebrating patriotism and respect for all our people." is denounced as being part of a slippery slope or as something like North Korea.

Sure, the song is a bit cringeworthy, but that's a matter of artistic taste rather than principle. Looking at the stated aims and mission, I can't see anything the aims that looks particularly objectionable. My only real concern looking through the site is that it gives the impression of being a campaigning group, but as far as I can see, it has no indication of any democratic structure or any way for anyone to get involved with it. Combined with the glowing profile of the founder, it rather gives the impression of being one person's (rather expensive) vanity project rather than a serious organisation. My best guess is it'll just exist as a website for a year or so than disappear. Still, I can't really fault the aims though.

I think if you took it in isolation, then maybe.
But given the wider context (increase in support for independence not just in Scotland but also in Wales, the general drifting apart politically of Scotland, Wales and England, attempts by the UK government to step around the devolved administrations, the general "culture war" narrative that the right wing including the government are trying to push etc etc) then it does start to look much less favourable.

And if you want to look at the aims - well lets just say it would be good if the government stating those aims would actually abide with them first!! Remember this is the same government that has wanted to create a "hostile environment" (not just for illegal immigrants, but legal ones too along with the same for benefits claimants aswell), has continually lied to the media and the public (lying has basically been the number one tactic of this government) amonst numerous other things that pretty much make a mockery of the so called aims of this.

 

[johncrossley]

Wow, how negative everyone is being! Have we really degenerated so far in terms of civic pride and basic patriotism that an organisation who's self-stated vision is to "To create, a strong, fair, harmonious and a proud British Nation, celebrating patriotism and respect for all our people." is denounced as being part of a slippery slope or as something like North Korea.

Words are meaningless when the country's actions lead to such unhappiness for many. I am no longer proud of being British and would gladly swap my passport with most other European ones. The people in this country who have made life a misery don't even apologise for what they have done. How do you expect me to celebrate this country? Before I consider being patriotic, the country needs to put right what it has done wrong.

 

[Dent]

Wow, how negative everyone is being! Have we really degenerated so far in terms of civic pride and basic patriotism that an organisation who's self-stated vision is to "To create, a strong, fair, harmonious and a proud British Nation, celebrating patriotism and respect for all our people." is denounced as being part of a slippery slope or as something like North Korea.

These notions of "civic pride" and "basic patriotism" are highly divisive and open to abuse to further various agendas.

 

[Typhoon]

My best guess is it'll just exist as a website for a year or so than disappear. Still, I can't really fault the aims though.

The first documented event on the website is the birth of Prince George (almost 8 years ago) so I suspect it will be around a little while yet.

I am not for one minute doubting the motives of Kash Singh when he founded the organisation, or the many religious and secular representatives who have give their testimonial. The movement seems to have been developed in West Yorkshire, mainly, but not entirely, in Bradford, where it is clearly bringing communities together. I start to worry when I read of a 'call to action' and when I see photographs of a reception in the Commons hosted by Andrea Jenkyns and Andrew Rosindell, of which no fewer than 14 include the distinctive features of Jacob Rees-Mogg (in his pre- Leader of the House guise); the only Labour Officer of the One Britain, One Nation committee in the house I can find lost his seat in the last election. But my main concern is that this week Philip Davies asked a Parliamentary question of Gavin Williamson, and Esther McVey one to the PM which prompted the DfE to 'suggest' that schools participate.

The UK government has urged schools to celebrate One Britain One Nation Day on 25 June, a campaign set up by a friend of Tory MPs

Children will be encouraged to sing the official OBON anthem, and clap for a minute in a tribute to people who helped during the pandemic.

...

Singh is thought to be a close associate of McVey and Davies, a married couple, as he lives near Shipley, Davies’ constituency.

While a handful of schools, mainly in Singh’s area, have previously celebrated “OBON day,” it is not a widely celebrated event.

According to the campaign’s website, the goals of OBON include:

– Promoting the concept of “responsible citizenship” and instilling a sense of personal pride in being British

– To “encourage the involvement of all our local communities in raising Britain’s economy through prosperity born from passion and pride in the Nation”

– Re-appropriating the flag of Great Britain “so that it represents all people of good conscience”

– Promote a National Day to encourage a “sense of national solidarity, allegiance and respect for our Great Nation” and to “enhance the image of our nation

As part of the campaign, OBON wants schools all over the UK to celebrate “One Britain One Nation day on Friday, 25 June.

This involves a one-minute clap at 10am, plus the singing of an anthem, titled “We are Britain and we have one dream to unite all people in one Great Team”.

A leaflet published by OBON also suggests that children should dress in red, white and blue.

The Department for Education has also encouraged schools to take part in the day, which ha been met with derision and criticism.

A message shared by the the official DfE Twitter account said: “We’re encouraging schools across the UK to celebrate One Britain One Nation Day on 25 June, when children can learn about our shared values of tolerance, kindness, pride and respect.”

So, in a couple of days, schools have to change what they are doing to deliver because Johnson and Williamson see the possibility of some photo-ops, plan new lessons, try to get fairly young children to learn words which may mean nothing to them, encourage children to dress up. As a former teacher (admittedly a long time ago and at secondary level) i would treat it as an insult that I required an opportunity to teach those shared values.

Some of those whose who have given testimony clearly did so some time ago, they might not totally agree with the direction in which the movement is heading.


Main source https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/rea...about-one-britain-one-nation-day-2021-3283442