Hundreds of Lib Dems, including ministers and MPs, join annual “Glee Club” and sing rewritten pop songs to a cardboard cut-out of Nick Clegg
By Georgia Graham, Political Correspondent
Daily Telegraph – 8 October 2014
Oasis, Sting and the Beatles have been hijacked by Liberal Democrat activists to protest about their party’s “crazy” ministers and “hazy” policies. Ministers, MPs and activists had to make do with a cardboard cut-out of Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, at the party's annual Glee Club event last night.
Paddy Ashdown led the singing with a version of “We shall overcome” as new songs attacking the Lib Dem front bench, Danny Alexander and the Liberal Democrat were unveiled to the party faithful. Stephen Williams, the communities minister joined John Hemming, Birmingham Yardley MP on the keyboard to a hall packed with Lib Dems in full song.
The 25th edition of the “Liberator Song Book", which cost attendees to the Lib Dems conference in Glasgow £4, includes a song penned by Julian Huppert MP attacking the “surveillance state", send up of the Police song “every step you take". "Part-time submarine", a version of the Beatles classic, Lloyd George Knew My Father to the tune of Onward Christian Soldier and [Don gave us] B****r All sung to the tune of Wonderwall were also among the new songs included in the song book.
The new “biggest ever, improved edition”, was sold to hundreds of Lib Dems at their annual party. However one high-profile Lib Dem spotted nearby said they were making a determined effort to avoid the event at all costs.
The pick of the best new Liberal Democrat anthems:
[…]
"PART-TIME SUBMARINE"
(words by Chris Young with Barbara and David Young. Inspired by "Yellow Submarine" by Lennon/McCartney)
A tribute to the "Contingency Posture" policy adopted at the 2013 Autumn Federal Conference to have a reduced or part-time replacement for the Trident nuclear programme.
* * *
In a town upon the Clyde,
We made plans for arms at sea.
Trident old, the Cold War cold,
What should be our strategy?
Like for like or no more nukes?
Either policy incurs expense.
So we choose the middle way,
Happy sitting on defence.
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.
* * *
So our crews will cruise the sea,
Deterring foemen beneath the foam,
Though we tell them in advance
That our warheads stay at home.
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.
* * *
We can send them back to base
If we're really up the creek
And request the war's postponed
Till the middle of next week.
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.
* * *
To reject this well-thought plan,
Well, you know that it'll cost ya,
We cannot be seen to part
From our credible contingency posture,
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.
We believe in a part-time submarine,
A part-time submarine, a part-time submarine.