punk rock prime minister

From the UK Guardian:

Oi, Mr Blair! By Guardian Unlimited / Labour conference
Tony Blair's speech to the Labour party conference was hotly anticipated this afternoon, writes Rosalind Ryan. But were conversations around water coolers focusing on whether he would tell the party he was going to stay on for a full third term? No, we were all concerned about the music Mr Blair would choose to accompany his grand entrance.

In 1997 the theme song for the Labour election campaign was D:Ream's Things Can Only Get Better , chosen because it allegedly encapsulated the hope and vision that a New Labour government would bring toBritain.

So what would Mr Blair choose for his entry into the ring this afternoon? I'm Still Standing by Elton John? "Gordon" Brown (with apologies to the Stranglers)? Frankie Sinatra's My Way? Or Jilted John by Jilted John - with its refrain of "Gordon is a moron"?

Sadly we were going to be kept waiting. Before his speech song (or swansong?) was revealed, viewers on BBC Parliament were treated to a good five minutes of the theme from Tales of the Unexpected.

What was Mr Blair going to say? Something unexpected no doubt. The relentless merry-go-round music prompted visions of Cherie and Ruth Kelly wriggling animatedly across the screen, almost enough to make one vote Tory - that is if we knew who we would be voting for yet.

So what did the prime minister finally make his "Tonight Matthew I'm going to be? " appearance too? It was If the Kids are United by punk band Sham 69.

The band were known as the real punks of the movement. The band was the "voice of the people in the first wave of British punk" and introduced football chant-style lyrics into their songs.

Mr Blair is in good company. Columnist and critic Garry Bushell is a huge fan of the band - he coined the phrase the "Oi!" movement for the street punk sound of bands like Sham 69 in the early 80s.

Sham 69 gigs were notorious for fights and punch-ups, with the violence eventually leading to their demise.

Hopefully the prime minister wasn't going to start trouble at the conference this afternoon, although if Mr Prescott was in his corner?

But what attracted Mr Blair to using If the Kids are United today?

Perhaps the lyrics hold the key:

For once in my life I've got something to say

I wanna say it now for now is today

A love has been given so why not enjoy

So let's all grab and let's all enjoy

If the kids are united then we'll never be divided

If the kids are united then we'll never be divided

Good job Mr Blair. Although Paul McCartney's hit with the Frog Chorus would have carried the same message.

Hopefully Mr Blair's knowledge of Sham 69's back catalogue extends tothe name of their first album: Tell Us the Truth. Well, prime minister- the stage is all yours.

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This is about as bizarre as it comes! This would be comparable to bush using a Dead Kennedys song!