Bizarre scenes as Labour MPs break into socialist anthem The Red Flag in the Commons chamber as they lead opposition MPs in boycott of prorogation ceremony

•  They held an impromptu socialist singalong in the Commons this morning
• The song is the Labour anthem and hails the fight for workers’ rights
• SNP sang ‘Scots Wha Hae’, considered by them an alternative national anthem

Labour MPs held an impromptu socialist singalong in the Commons this morning as they boycotted the prorogation ceremony in protest at Boris Johnson’s decision to shut down parliament ahead of Brexit.

In scenes captured on video by shadow minister Danielle Rowley they sang the protest song The Red Flag which is the party anthem and is usually performed at the end of each of its annual conferences. 

Its lyrics hail the fight for workers’ rights, saying it was used to shroud the bodies of ‘our martyred dead’. In the footage the MPs could be heard singing the chorus lines: ‘Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, We’ll keep the red flag flying here.’

The Midlothian MP said: ‘I know you’re not meant to film in the chamber, but everyone on the opposition benches is singing and this moment was beautiful.’

They performed the song after Tory MPs and the Speaker John Bercow had gone to the House of Lords to hear the proclamation of the prorogation decision read out.

It shut down parliament for five weeks, with MPs not due to sit again until October 14.  

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell tweeted that defiant Opposition MPs would ‘never let this extreme right win Tory sect silence our democracy’. 

‘The closing down of Parliament by Johnson & the Tories provoked anger in the Commons,’ Mr McDonnell wrote.

‘But also in the final moments of this Parliamentary session a defiant burst of singing of the ‘Red Flag’ by Labour MPs. 

‘We will never let this extreme right wing Tory sect silence our democracy. 

SNP MPs began singing ‘Scots Wha Hae’ – considered by the party to be the alternative national anthem.

One of its MPs, Gavin Newlands, jokingly appealed to Conservative MPs to sing – with no response.

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