Corbyn declines to meet the Queen.

thatbags

Thank you

Anniebach

You have cheered me up .

I think his manhole cover interest is what I like most about him. Yes, really. I'm not taking the piss.

lily,

pogs, I guess I misread your post. Soz.

The Sunday Telegraph on line is running a joke competition to find Jezza. One suggestion is he might have gone to look at manhole covers.

He will not see republicanism in his lifetime , did he say he was to bring about a referendum on abolishing the monarchy ? And I haven't heard him say the Privy Council is a waste of space, was this said in a tv or press interview?

Thatbags

Forgive me I am 'respectfully ' pointing out I know he hasn't refused to join the Privy Council and I have never said on any previous post he has refused.

My point is neither he nor his grass roots/core voter believe the Privy Council is anything other than a waste of space, has no function etc. do not see it should even be in existence.

Why then does he not refuse to become part of the Privy Council to appease his followers. ( I gave a reason why )

I am pointing out the folly of believing that Corbyn is different, a conviction politician , he can no longer be the 'rebellious' back bencher loved by the grass roots, he is now part of the Establishment and any 'rhetoric' he espouses will be seen as either hypocrisy or a let down dependant upon your view of the man.

He might get a few things through but I have my doubts he will be able to satisfy his core voter on Trident, NATO, House of Lords, becoming a Republic etc. etc. but time will tell it is early days.

rosesarered, how many daily and Sunday newspapers do you consider left wing press?

POGS, I wouldn't expect any politician to refuse to become a member of the Privy Council based on my opinion and it is my opinion you have quoted.

If all these secrets are discussed within the privy council Cameron forgot to tell the council he was ignoring the vote in parliament held on Syria and he was sending UK airmen to America to aid with air strikes

As I said - a tradition without teeth

I agree, thatbags, we haven't had as much fun for years.

The left wing press says what it wants, as does the right wing press, so there is equality for all.

I'm not sure he has actually refused outright, pogs. I think the prior engagement was genuine and he felt it was more important. It will no doubt become clear in due course whether he does intend to refuse outright. Until then I'm not really bothered. I'm finding the Corbyn series quite entertaining. He's got to be the most entertaining politician we've had for yonks. And, you never know, his approach might even work wonders. We could do woth some of that.

Anniebach

'It is just a tradition without teeth"

Then why doesn't he make a stand and refuse to accept a place on the Privy Council?
He has stood on a platform of opposition to all things related to the Monarchy such as the abolition of the monarchy, the House of Lords and the Privy Council would most certainly not interest him either.

This is a question I keep raising as it would cast him in stone as the 'conviction politician' some put him on a pedestal as being . Give his core voter something to cheer him on for.

Lord John Prescott resigned as a Privy Counsellor in protest in 2006 by the way if I am not mistaken.

To my mind he knows the Privy Council does 'require' the Leader of the Opposition to take his place as the Privy Council discusses matters of security and the Privy Council is given privileged and advanced notice of any prime ministerial decision to commit H M 's Armed Forces in enemy action.

An example is : Tony Blair (Prime Minister) met Ian Duncan Smith and Charles Kennedy (Opposition Leaders) on 'Privy Council' terms to discuss the 'Evidence for Iraq's Weapons Of Mass Destruction'

Yes the meetings are held in secret but that is only right and proper as they are dealing with matters of National Security.

I know we did but when we didn't like the republic we invited royalty back.

Gracesgran we did behead a monarch and we did have a republic. Then we invited the monarch back. Then we kicked another one out. Then everyone knew where they were.

I am not sure I want to be a Privy Counsellor any more (or is it Councillor?)
as I have learnt that everyone has to stand throughout the meeting (including HM)
Give me a comfy chair any day

I am not a huge fan of JBC (not because he is Labour btw ) but I think it is a storm in a teacup.

Gracesgran, I had a relative who was a labour MP, two cousins who were researchers in Westminster , one listens and learns

This alleged snubbing of the queen is just Tory press nonsense . I refused an invite to a buck house garden party, expect the queen felt snubbed but I had better things to do, think they are a waste of money and it would have cost me money I chose to spend on more important things,

Would be interesting to know how many here would cancel an engagement just to meet the queen , I would not

Oh! I didn't know I'd done a wink. Scatbrain.

I don't think that statistic holds on GN , at least not amongst the talkative GNers

Annie you are full of little nuggets of history. I didn't know that about Tony Benn.

They will make it possible for him. That is why we have not got round beheading monarchs and creating a republic. If we ever get to the point of becoming a republic it will all be done with the grace which has allowed us to move from monarch to constitutional monarch in the past.

Here is a link for all those who want to find out more. The article starts:

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will join the Privy Council despite missing its first meeting since his appointment.

It would have been the first chance for the Labour leader, a life-long republican, to be sworn in to the historic group which advises mon"archs.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said he was unable to attend due to "other commitments".

Labour said it was not a snub and pointed out David Cameron took three months to be sworn in to the council.

Such a storm in a tea-cup but when 80% of the press is right wing you do have to do your own audit of what they publish.

If 500 are members of the Privy Councilhow could any member who didn't attend a meeting not be informed of what was said. It is just a tradition with no teeth

Sorry but I still disagree, he was unable to meet the queen because of a prior engagement

Has no one watched the swearing in of MP's over the years many say the oath and cross their fingers at the same time, one could say it's a tradition

MP's have a choice ,they do not have to swear to God, they choose a bible, no bible, Koran, Hebrew Bible. Tony Benn when sworn in said - as a committed republican , under protest, I take the oath require of me by law,

So perhaps the whole business about Corbyn being sworn in to the Privy Council is the media playing uproar? I remember the Sinn Fein MPs elected to Westminster refused to take the oath, couldn't take their seats and didn't get paid. I wonder what they do at Stormont?

Alternatively, also under the Oaths Act 1978, Members may make a solemn affirmation instead of taking an oath, using the words:

I (name of Member) do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law.

"according to law" is the nub. If it is law that the head of state is an unelected sovereign, then at that time he would have sworn allegiance to abide by the law. If the law changes n future, he won't have to.

I can't imagine that he didn't swear and get his salary and speaking and voting rights.

I wouldn't be able to do it with those exact words as gods don"t feature in my life. Is there an alternative for godless folk?