Red Flag - Labour Party
Traditionally sung every year at Labour Party conference. Search ‘sing the commie hits’ on YouTube to find a rendition, about which one commenter asks: “Why are they singing live on TV? Why is it to the tune of ‘Oh, Christmas Tree’?”
The Land - Liberal Democrats
Originally the anthem of Lloyd George’s Liberal Party, this remains a semi-official battle hymn of the Lib Dems. Sung at their party conference glee club, the song sticks it to the landowners, advocating the pursuit of land value taxation.
L'Internationale - Socialist Workers' Party
Written in French by Eugène Pottier over 140 years ago, Billy Bragg’s version is perhaps the most famous. If it’s anti-capitalist vitriol you want, you can do no better, though, apparently, the backing music is copyrighted in France until 2017.
Crush on Obama - US Democrats
Unofficially affiliated with the Democrats – and more a song of adoration than anthemic – this ditty ostensibly helped power Obama to election success in 2008. It’s had over 120 million views on YouTube and was dubbed one of the last decade’s top ten memes by Newsweek.
Bohemian Like You - Conservative Party
Sometimes parties fall foul of ideological antagonists when attempting self-definition. At last year’s conference Theresa May used The Dandy Warhol’s famous track, which led frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor to ask: “Why don’t these assholes have right-wing bands to make some right-wing music for their right-wing jerkoff politics?”
Land of Hope and Glory - Conservative Party
Search YouTube for ‘now that’s what I call a standing ovation’ and, if you can bear it, sit through all 13 minutes of adulation for Margaret Thatcher to get the full impact of Elgar’s gaudy patriotism as they close the conference.
The Gallant Six Hundred - Plaid Cymru
Referring to the 609 people who voted for Plaid in its first parliamentary election 83 years ago, current party president Dafydd Iwan is said to have “immortalised” the essence of the party with this song.
Jerusalem - Cross-party
The traditional go-to for the party with a patriotism deficit. William Blake’s “pleasant pastures” and “dark satanic mills” have been largely misappropriated by political parties, perhaps most tastelessly by the BNP, which considers it the anthem of its English division.
Scots Wha Hae - Scottish National Party
This true Scottish anthem closes each year’s SNP conference. YouTube is awash with own-versions, but one in particular, set to Braveheart’s famous battle scene, should make even the most dyed-in-the-wool unionist fall for Alex Salmond.
Fanfare for the Common Man - US Democratic Party
Lofty, prideful, and traditionally performed at the beginning of the Democratic National Convention, Aaron Copland’s orgy of brass is less partisan than it is American. Both Obama and Glenn Beck have found use for it – the former to celebrate his inauguration, the latter at his Restoring Honor rally.
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