A SONG by Worcestershire's favourite son Sir Edward Elgar is one of the favourite choices to potentially become England's national anthem.

Parliament is to hear calls for England to drop God Save The Queen at sporting events in favour of its own national anthem.

MP Toby Perkins wants legislation to enable England teams to be greeted by their own anthem in the same way as Scotland and Wales.

The Labour backbencher wants the Government to ask members of the public which song should be chosen and his Ten Minute Rule Motion proposing that has been backed in the House of Commons and will now be looked at further.

Mr Perkins said he believed England teams and individuals representing their country should have an anthem which reflected their own specific national identity rather than the whole United Kingdom.

While God Save The Queen was the anthem of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in some sporting events the constituent countries of the UK play as individual nations.

Two of the most popular choices to become the country's new anthem are Sir Edward Elgar's Land of Hope and Glory and the hymn Jerusalem, which he re-scored for a very large orchestra in 1922.

Chris Bennett, Elgar Birthplace Museum supervisor, said Land of Hope and Glory would be the perfect anthem for the country.

"If there was to be a change then Elgar's Land of Hope and Glory has the appropriate words.

"I know Jerusalem is also a popular choice for a lot of people.

"Elgar did write music for the people and it would be great news for Worcester and Worcestershire if Land of Hope and Glory was chosen.

"Most people will know if from the Last Night of The Proms where you can see people from all walks of life singing along and appreciating the music.

"It appeals to a wide range of people.

"That's the main thing - it's such a great tune.

"Elgar himself when he wrote it said to a friend "I've got a tune that will knock them flat" and he was dead right."

Mr Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, said at the England Wales game at the Rugby World Cup and he was struck that the Welsh were singing the Welsh national anthem while the English were singing the British national anthem.

"We will be playing Wales this summer in the (football) European Championship.

"I think it is time to have a conversation to see what people think."

Mr Perkins said his motion had already generated a "huge level of interest" and that he would now like to see the Government launch a consultation to find out what the public think.

He said many England fans now took the flag of Saint George to matches where in the past they would have taken the Union flag.

While his own choice for an English national anthem would be Jerusalem, he said that other options could include Land Of Hope And Glory and There'll Always Be An England.

He acknowledged however that many people would like to retain God Save The Queen.

Ahead of the debate, a recording of Jerusalem was being played at loud volumes around Parliament for more than an hour.

An aide to Mr Perkins said the England In My Heart campaign for an English sporting national anthem had arranged for a van equipped with loudspeakers to drive around the Palace of Westminster playing the song.

Mr Perkins stressed that the van was "not my idea".