Americans discover their version of the Norman Tebbit cricket test

American Power Blog discovers that not all Americans support the USA, in this case preferring Mexico, just as in the UK so many British born Pakistanis support Pakistan rather than England at cricket.

There'll always be an England

It has always irritated me that whilst Scotland & Wales have their own 'anthems' England does not, leading to the situation where English athletes at the Commonwealth games as well as footballers and Rugby players at World Cups receive medals or line up to God Save the Queen. God Save the Queen is the UK national anthem and I think that England using it as well cannot help but make the other parts of the United Kingdom think they are merely appendages to England (albeit that they are). I have long thought that England should have its own anthem, I would choose Land of Hope and Glory as that is good and rousing but I would be almost as happy with Jerusalem which will this year be England's anthem at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

So I was interested to hear that Greg Mulholland the Lib Dem MP for Leeds North West raised the matter in the House of Commons today:

'All the English Members of the House thoroughly enjoyed England's qualification yesterday, and it was wonderful to see the cross of St George flying. However, it is still frustrating to hear England singing the wrong anthem-the anthem of the United Kingdom. Following the historic decision to use "Jerusalem" at the Commonwealth games, may we have a debate in the House about properly establishing an English national anthem for when England, as opposed to the United Kingdom, compete?'

Sir George Young's reply was probably wrong as well as evasive (my comments in italics): 'I am sure that England's victory yesterday was celebrated not just in England but in Scotland and Wales.' I think that in many parts of Scotland and almost as many in Wales the hatred of the English is stronger than Unionists choose to believe