Bizarre choral music heard throughout tearful Starmer’s resignation speech defined
British viewers were left scratching their heads as sounds of Ode to Joy by Beethoven began drifting across the airwaves during Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation speech
Keir Starmer appeared to fight back tears during his resignation(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The world of British politics is often a loud and confusing place, full of desperate attention seekers willing to do anything to put themselves at the centre of the story, and the teary-eyed resignation of Sir Keir Starmer appeared to be no different, with people across the country being somewhat distracted from the poignant and historic moment by somebody playing booming music in earshot of his Downing Street podium.
The much maligned PM was forced to wrestle for attention with the sound of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, an instantly recognisable piece of classical music usually played at times of celebration, especially in mainland Europe.
The chaotic scenes were strangely similar to the resignation speech of Starmer’s predecessor Rishi Sunak, who had to battle with D:Ream tune and unofficial Labour Party anthem Things Can Only Get Better while stepping down.
And according to multiple reports from Downing Street, the person behind the unwanted backing track may have been the same, with anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray named by multiple sources as the man behind the music.
GB News reporter Tom Harwood as well as LBC and The Newsagents presenter Lewis Goodall were amongst many to personally name Bray, also known as the “Stop Brexit Man”, as the culprit, with Goodall labelling the campaigner a “yob” for seemingly positioning himself at the centre of attention once again.
Goodall wrote on social media site X: “Steve Bray blasting Ode to Joy, ruining nationally historic moments like this for us and posterity, is a complete disgrace. A yob.”
Harwood, although stressing that there is a “legitimacy to people shouting at the end of Downing Street”, went one step further, calling for such actions to become a criminal offence for which somebody could be “arrested”.
Political commentator and Mail on Sunday columnist Dan Hodges also named Bray personally as the culprit.
He wrote: “I’m sick of people like Steve Bray and other protestors being allowed to disrupt any national event they feel like.”
While the vast majority condemned whoever was behind the distraction, some social media users were in favour of the musical accompaniment, with one labelling Bray a “legend” for his alleged involvement.
While it has not been made explicit why the song Ode to Joy was chosen, the Beethoven piece, written in 1824, is well known for its connections to Europe and specifically the European Union, and is played At EU summits and official ceremonies as their official anthem.
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