Retired policeman behind ‘One Britain, One Nation’ campaign blasts ‘diabolical’ social media trolls

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The retired policeman behind the ‘One Britain, One Nation’ campaign has blasted internet trolls for mocking a song written by children.

It comes as a high-profile doctor likened asking children to sing the One Britain tune to the beginning stages of Nazi Germany and said she felt ‘terrified’.

The One Britain song, written by primary school children as young as seven, provoked ridicule after it went viral online, with critics calling it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘an embarrassment’. 

It was composed by children and their music teacher at St John’s CofE Primary in Bradford, and adopted by the One Britain One Nation campaign, set up by former police officer Kash Singh.

Dr Julia Grace Patterson, a former NHS doctor and chief executive of EveryDoctor, posted a seven-point Twitter thread yesterday warning Britons not to ‘sleep walk into this’, suggested a comparison between the UK and ‘Nazi Germany in the 1930s’.

Of the current UK Government, she added: ‘They denied children food. They are hostile to immigrants. They are trying to shut down protest. And now, now they have a song? A song for our children to sing? No. My children will not sing a song of unity encouraged by those who seek to divide us.’ 

Mr Singh said criticism of the song was ‘diabolical’ and the seven, eight, nine and ten year olds who wrote it would be ‘so upset’.

He added: ‘I am absolutely shocked by the response. Where have we gone so far wrong in this country?’ 

The song’s creators said it promoted ‘love and unity’ and encouraged all pupils to show ‘love for our great nation’.

But a lyric video soon went viral online as the nation appeared to unite against the song, calling it ‘ridiculous’, ‘pernicious dross’ and ‘a party political move’.  

The song is called ‘We are Britain and we have one dream, to unite all people in one great team’, which are also the words of the chorus. 

It also includes the lines: ‘Our nation survived through many storms and many wars/We’ve opened our doors, and widened our island’s shores/We celebrate our differences with love in our hearts/United for ever, never apart.’ 

A Whitehall source told the Telegraph: ‘It is despicable that a police officer from an ethnic minority background trying to do good has been lambasted in this way by a Twitter hate mob.’

Dr Patterson was blasted online for her comparison between Britain and Nazi Germany.

She said she ‘could not sleep last night’ and ‘is terrified for our country’ after the song went viral online.

She added: ‘Songs are powerful. What would it mean to refuse the song? Is it an admission on my part that indeed I do not value the qualities of kindness and unity that “this government stand for”? 

‘And what does that make me? An alien? A traitor? An enemy? And what then? What are the consequences?’

Twitter users were quick to blast Dr Patterson, calling her a ‘lunatic’ and in ‘literal cuckoo land’.

One said: ‘If you’re wondering, rather than knowing or understanding, maybe leave the pious tweets to one side.’

Another added: ‘Britain is a grim place, at present, but comparing it to Nazi Germany is a bit over the top.’

One wrote: ‘A gentle reminder that hijacking Holocaust imagery to satisfy a political agenda is not- and never will be- appropriate. Our “experiences” will never compare to the experiences of people in Nazi Germany. Stop claiming that they will.’

In a tweeting frenzy this week, parents pointed out the irony of Scottish children being unable to join in with One Britain One Nation Day because schools there break up before June 25. 

Some compared the song to the Hitler Youth, with one writing: ‘We’ve officially reached the Hitler Youth stage of this Government. No thank you. My child will not be participating.’ 

Others questioned whether teachers had been given enough notice to teach children the words to the One Britain song. 

On Monday the Department for Education’s official Twitter account promoted the OBON day and linked to its website. OBON wants schools to hold a minute’s applause on Friday and sing the song. 

The idea was derided by one of the Conservative Party’s own MPs, Caroline Nokes.

The MP for Romsey and Southampton North retweeted a preview of the OBON song saying: ‘I can’t unhear this (however fervently I wish I could).’  

Mr Singh said the concept of OBON was ‘born from my dream as a police officer’ after coming to the UK as a six-year-old boy who ‘couldn’t speak a word of English’.

He said he set up the campaign in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in 2013 after retiring from the police force in 2012.

Mr Singh told Times Radio: ‘We started the concept in Bradford and West Yorkshire, and it’s been very, very successful indeed, so what we want to look at is taking it across the nation.

‘It was something that was born from my dream as a police officer, in terms of what I’d see, in terms of my passion, pride and frustration, and something that I feel needed to be done in this country.

‘This country is a brilliant country. I came to this country as a six-year-old kid who couldn’t speak a word of English. My parents were labourers, they worked in a factory and foundry, and there are fantastic people in this country.

‘One of the things that was missing for me was what we need to do, is we need an organisation that the people of this country can align themselves to, to showcase their passion, pride and love for this great nation.

‘Some people may have this perception that not everybody is proud of this country – let me tell you, people like me, and the millions of people who’ve settled in this country from other parts of the world, are so proud of this country.

‘I think we need to celebrate that and create this spirit of oneness and togetherness, and showcase that we’re all one people of this country regardless of where you’re from.’ 

But a slew of derision has been posted online since the One Britain song went viral online this week.  

One user said: ‘To what terrible parallel universe have I been transported?’ 

Another said: ‘They should put that song into Eurovision. They hate us as it is, so we might as well go for broke.’ 

A third said: ‘It’s just so bad. It still manages to gets worse every single time you hear it.’ A fourth said: ‘Anyone who tweets that ridiculous One Britain song in my timeline earns an automatic block.’ 

Another added: ‘Please don’t tell me the Tories really turned our country into such an embarrassment?’ 

Others complained One Britain One Nation day was leaving out Scottish children, who will have broken up for their summer holidays by then.

Most Scottish schools will end term on June 23, two days before the national day.

One said: ‘Scotland’s schools finish before the 25th of June ! Do some some research.’

Another added: ‘This uniting song to be sung by all kids in the great one nation on 25th is when Scots kids are on holiday. How can u not see this constant flag waving is odd?’

‘Apart from the fact that this nation within your ‘one nation’ is on summer holiday, that song is just down right creepy. Sack whoever had that idea,’ said another. 

Others just hated the song itself, while a few tried to stick up for the children who wrote it.

One said: ‘I know people have been having fun about the One Nation song but this song was written by schoolchildren. It isn’t their fault is has been used by adults to impose it on the rest of us. Be kind and remember how you would feel if you were one of those children.’

But others were less diplomatic.

One added: ‘This song is pernicious dross. Idiotic sentiments and a crap tune. And ‘one nation’ is a longstanding Conservative slogan, so it’s an unambiguous party political move.’

Another said: ‘My youngest who is still at school will not be singing this. Like most things the government come up with nowadays, it’s abhorrent.’

One added: ‘I think One Britain One Nation should be cancelled on the grounds it’s a bloody awful song.’

Another wrote: ‘I had absolutely, genuinely assumed this ‘One Nation’ song thing was a spoof. It’s not? What the hell?! That’s insane.’

Others doubted teachers’ ability to teach the song to children with such short notice.

One wrote: ‘Do they expect primary school kids to learn a song in the space of a week? They start rehearsing the nativity in Sept.’

The One Nation campaign lists its aim as being ‘to create, a strong, fair, harmonious and a proud British Nation, celebrating patriotism and respect for all our people’.

‘OBON day’ is scheduled for Friday, June 25, and the campaign wants children to sing the official song.

It calls on schools to hold a minute’s applause on the designated day – June 25 – and sing the official song or play it through the school’s tannoy system.

Meanwhile, actress Joanna Lumley has expressed strong support for the organisation, according to the OBON website.

In a statement on the site, she said: ‘The aims and aspirations of OBON are extremely impressive and timely.

‘I wish the project all the success it so richly deserves and I support its vision of one nation with all my heart.’

Schools are also encouraged to dress children in red, white and blue for the day and ‘allow children to unpack the meaning of shared values of British Citizenship’. 

No 10 said the Department for Education (DfE) had not asked anyone to sing songs for One Britain One Nation Day (OBON).

Asked whether it was sensible for the department to encourage schoolchildren to sing the OBON patriotic song on Friday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister supports schools promoting fundamental British values, including tolerance and respect, and we endorse One Britain One Nation’s aims to help children learn about equality, kindness, pride, but I will point out the department has not asked people to sing songs or promoting any specific materials for One Britain One Nation day.’ 

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she first assumed the UK Government’s backing for the idea was a ‘spoof’ when she saw it on social media.

Speaking after meeting with EU citizens living in Scotland and organisations supporting people to apply for settled status to remain in the UK, she said: ‘I’m trying to imagine the outrage there would be if the Scottish Government was insisting or even encouraging Scottish school kids to sing some song about how great Scotland is.

‘People would be – and rightly so – up in arms about it.

‘It’s ludicrous and it perhaps says everything about the disinterest the UK Government has in Scotland that they’re asking this to happen on the day Scottish schools go off on their holiday.

‘Every aspect of it is ludicrous and I think it says sadly so much that we know about the misguided priorities, the hypocrisy and just the ridiculous nature of a lot of what this UK Government is doing.

‘Meanwhile, EU citizens that have been here for most of the lives and are working so hard to help make the country what it is are having to jump through hoops to stay here.’