Republican Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has made a U-turn on his recent statements, and will now kneel before The Queen to accept a position on her Privy Council.
Sources Close to Corbyn, who yesterday refused to sing the National Anthem at a church service to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Britain, said in the run-up to the Labour leader elections that he would refuse a position on the Privy Council of Her Majesty, on the grounds that he is a republican.
Now, his apparent dramatic U-turn has shown him to be a hypocrite: he has accepted the role, which was offered to him by David Cameron as leader of the current governemnt, meaning he must kneel before The Queen and kiss her hand. Yet in 1994 Corbyn called for a referendum on keeping the Monarchy in the UK, and then called on the Speaker of the House of Commons to see if he could propose a debate about ‘the future of the monarchy in this country’.
All MPs have to swear an oath of allegiance to Her Majesty, but the Privy Councillor oath is much deeper, with this wording being used since the Tudor era:
“You will not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done or spoken against Her Majesty’s Person, Honour, Crown or Dignity Royal, but you will lett [sic] and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power, and either cause it to be revealed to Her Majesty Herself, or to such of Her Privy Council as shall advertise Her Majesty of the same.
“You will in all things to be moved, treated and debated in Council, faithfully and truly declare your Mind and Opinion, according to your Heart and Conscience; and will keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council.”
The role will see the 66-year-old have access to matters of national security, which has raised concerns for some. Mr Corbyn, a pacifist, has suggested tax-payers could opt out of paying for the Armed Forces, which protect this country and try to support peace abroad, as well as scrapping the standing Army all together, leaving the UK defenceless.
Concerns about the appointment of an IRA sympathiser in the Labour shadow cabinet, his questioning of drones used to attack known ISIS terrorists, as well as sympathies with Vladimir Putin and Russia, have all cast doubts over his new place at the head of the Labour party, just days after being appointed.
1 comment
When he fails to keep his Oath; Corbyn will say he kept his fingers crossed behind his back. At least this is what happens with Socialist-Lite & Socialist-Heavy do in Canada when their hypocricy is revealed.