Kemi Badenoch axes God Save the King from end of Conservative Conference to play pop music

Mr Rosindell instead suggested that Mrs Badenoch will leave the Manchester Centre to the sound of pop music.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Rosindell said: "I've asked for the national anthem to be played at the end of conference again.

"And I hope it will be played. I've spoken to the party chairman [Kevin Hollinrake]. He's sympathetic."

However, Mr Rosindell added: "The indication so far is that it won't be played."

The 59-year-old Tory MP, who also put pressure on the BBC to play God Save the King every night, revealed that the national anthem is likely being replaced by "pop music".

In a push to make Conservative chiefs change their minds, Mr Rosindell told GB News: "I feel that singing the anthem of our country shows that what we're really about isn't party politics, it's love of country."

The national anthem was a regular fixture of Tory Party conferences under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher.

However, following the Conservatives' humiliating defeat of 1997, God Save the Queen was dropped from the conference schedule.

The national anthem returned to the Tory Party Conference last year, having yet again been axed from the schedule in 2023.

Land of Hope and Glory had been considered the unofficial anthem of the Tory Party throughout the 20th Century, with Sir Winston Churchill closing the party's 1949 conference with a rendition in London.

Other political parties have also closed their respective conferences with patriotic songs for decades.

Labour closed its 2025 party conference in Liverpool with renditions of both the Red Flag and Jerusalem.

Sir Keir Starmer previously decided to open Labour's 2022 party conference with God Save the King following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage closed Reform UK's annual conference in Birmingham last month with the national anthem.

The Reform UK leader was flanked by the leading lights of his insurgent party, while Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns led the performance.

However, GB News understands that the Tories have already played God Save the King at this year's party conference.

Tory sources pointed out that the national anthem was played yesterday, on the opening day of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

Insiders also revealed that the national anthem was only played last year "because all four candidates were on stage doing a display of national unity".

The decision to replace God Save the King with pop music also raised eyebrows after Mrs Badenoch made a music playlist for last year's party conference.

Mrs Badenoch's 15-part Spotify playlist included Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson, I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas and London Boy by Taylor Swift.

During his interview with GB News, Mr Rosindell also revealed that he would be willing to serve in a Reform-led Government.

The Romford MP, who is calling on Mrs Badenoch to form an alliance with Mr Farage, told the People's Channel: "Could I serve in a Government with Nigel? Yes. But it would probably be a Conservative-Reform coalition. I have no problem with that."