The BBC will not be playing Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead in its weekly countdown, despite the song topping the British iTunes singles chart following the death of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The BBC Radio 1 controller released a statement saying:
“The BBC finds this campaign distasteful but does not believe the record should be banned. On Sunday, the Radio 1 Chart Show will contain a news item explaining why the song is in the charts during which a short clip will be played.”
The song has sold 29,000 copies since Thatcher’s death on 8th April, following numerous Facebook campaigns to make the Wizard of Oz classic top the charts. The track is currently sitting in second position on the UK Singles Chart, which tracks all singles sales, including digital.
The Iron Lady’s passing has caused a wave of anti-Thatcher sentiment, including a scathing critique in the form of an open letter from Morrissey, although Johnny ‘Rotten’ Lyndon has said that celebrating Thatcher’s death is ‘loathsome’.
