MY love for Britain is based on a broad affection that takes into account history, the richly diverse culture of these islands and the noble courage of its people in the face of adversity.

For a number of years it has been fashionable to rubbish this country. It's a symptom of post-imperial guilt, a condition gleefully encouraged by post-war opinion formers. However, enlightened people know that the time has now come to move on and no better new beginning could be the adoption of a new national anthem.

When the present Hanoverian dirge was concocted, Britain was a relatively new entity, a German-born ruler was on the throne and memories of Popish plots were still very much in the public consciousness.

The early 18th Century Establishment probably felt the wording to the new anthem should leave people in little doubt as to where their loyalties lay. God save the king no room for confusion there.

After all, this was an age where any other sentiment might be construed as treason - a crime that attracted the most gruesome of punishments. Unlike today, dissent was invariably met with savage retribution. Yes, God save the king who dares disagree?

The problem is that this tune is unremittingly tedious, ugly, inappropriate and entirely out of keeping with modern Britain.

Patriotism is no longer solely expressed through unquestioning loyalty to a hereditary ruler. Much has happened in the centuries since the House of Hanover kicked the Stuarts into touch, not least in terms of musical composition.

In fact, the answer has for long been staring us in the face - for what music could be better qualified than that of Worcestershire's very own Sir Edward Elgar, surely the embodiment of all things British?

Elgar's majestic themes may have been written when two-thirds of the globe was coloured pink but most people regard Land Of Hope And Glory as the unofficial national anthem.

The time has come bestow the greatest honour on our finest composer.

JUST WHY ARE ID CARDS NEEDED, MR FOSTER?

LAST summer's hopeless attempt by Nationwide to cover up the theft of a laptop containing data on millions of customers rams home the lesson that identity theft - whether attempted or actual - is now a fact of all our lives.

However, we should be grateful to the halfwit executive who was stupid enough to take such information back to his home. For it all goes to show that determined criminals will always find a way of penetrating security technology.

When ID cards are forced upon us, identity theft will become the major growth crime in Britain. Worcester MP Mike Foster is all in favour of the cards - perhaps he'd like to explain to this newspaper's readers why they are anything other than yet another earner for Whitehall.