Singer Billy Bragg has said he is "appalled" by Sex Pistol John Lydon's opinion of the monarchy.

Former punk Bragg said that the punk band's lead singer had sold out because of his support for Jubilee celebrations and his praise for the Royal Family as "good earners".

Bill Grundy must have been turning in his grave

Bragg on Lydon

His comments come as the Sex Pistol's song God Save the Queen is re-released.

The punk band are aiming for the Jubilee number one record spot - 25 years after many say they were cheated out of it the first time around.

Lydon hopes the remix of the song that was originally banned by the BBC and reached number two during the Silver Jubilee in 1977, will finally hit the top this time around.

It is widely-thought to have sold more copies than Rod Stewart, who was at number one - but many say it was kept off the top to avoid embarrassment.

At the launch for the re-release Lydon criticised Bragg as "the middle classes' Coco the Clown".

Former punk

Bragg, famous for his 1980s hit New England, has anti-Jubilee single Take Down The Union Jack at number 22 in the charts.

He told BBC Breakfast: "When I saw [Lydon] on Richard And Judy a few months ago saying the Royal Family do some good for the country, Bill Grundy must have been turning in his grave.

"And as a former punk, I am appalled that he should say that."

Billy Bragg has been criticised by John Lydon

Lydon recently said that God Save the Queen had never been anti-monarchy.

"You know, I was never pro them or anti them.

"I just think if we're going to have a monarchy it may as well work properly. I mean, we pay for it, after all."

The Sex Pistols are to play a comeback concert at Crystal Palace in July, but their record will be up against Ant and Dec's World Cup single as well as songs from Pop Idol Will Young and jailed So Solid Crew star Asher D.

God Save the Queen will feature the original artwork - a picture of the Queen with a punk-style safety pin through her nose - which caused great outrage at the time.

The band also famously signed their record contract outside Buckingham Palace, and the Silver Jubilee saw them get arrested after they performed on a boat on the river Thames in London.

The Golden Jubilee version has been remixed by Neil Barnes, of dance group Leftfield.

The song includes the verse: "God save the Queen... she ain't no human being... There is no future... In England's dreaming."