’The Left are ASHAMED of Britain’: Tense row erupts over Rule Britannia amid claims anthem ‘alienates people’

This comes as last month, Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason called for the song to be cut as it "makes a lot of people feel uncomfortable".

When asked about Kanneh-Mason's comments, Debonnaire showed solidarity as she admitted it was "not her favourite bit of music".

She added: "The Proms is a fantastic institution and it’s the world’s greatest music festival. I think for a lot of people, that feels like a very sort of British moment, which I think has to be respected as well, but for a lot of people, as Sheku Kenneh-Mason said, it will feel alienating.

"I want the Proms, I want culture, to be accessible to everyone. I think it’s a good debate for us to be having."

Reacting to Debbonaire's remarks, UKIP leader Neil Hamilton slammed the Labour MP and questioned why people "wouldn't support the words of the song" which is an "exhortation to freedom and against slavery".

Hamilton argued that Britain's history has "masses of things to be celebrated" and the anthem is simply to "celebrate fact that Britain maintained its own sovereignty as a nation".

Hamilton told GB News: "The trouble with the left is they're ashamed of Britain, ashamed of patriotism.

"George Orwell said British lefty intellectuals would be more embarrassed by being found standing for God Save the King than to be found stealing from a church poor box. And that's the trouble with the left."

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Hamilton continued: "Thangam Debbonaire and the Labour Party fundamentally don't believe in patriotism.

"A party which is against British independence, because Keir Starmer wanted a second referendum on Brexit, would certainly be against singing Rule Britannia, because they're ashamed of their own country. And I don't think they're in cahoots with the ordinary instincts of the people of this country."

Author and broadcaster Rebecca Reid was in disagreement with Hamilton and argued that the song is Britain "showing off" that they had "ownership" and "controlled things".

She added: "It particularly harks back to things like the East India Trading Company, which is a pretty icky chapter for us."

Reid said of the patriotic nature of the song: "I think it's a chapter of our history that we shouldn't personally feel guilty for, I don't think we should walk around crying all day because our country did bad things.

"But I also don't necessarily want to celebrate a chapter where we sought to assert dominance over other countries."

Hamilton hit back at Reid and accused her of making points that were "unhistorical rubbish".

He stated: "Rule Britannia has nothing whatever to do with empire or domination over other countries. It's actually a hymn, a praise for British liberty, which is preserved by the strength of the British Navy in the 1730s and 40s when this song was written."