Jeremy Corbyn is not attending today’s Privy Council meeting, which is being written up as a ‘snub’ in some quarters and dismissed as totally unimportant in others. The Labour leader’s spokesperson has issued this statement:
‘Although Jeremy was unavailable for today’s meeting, he has confirmed he will be joining the Privy Council.
‘As the Prime Minister and others did, it is far from unusual to miss the first meeting due to other commitments.’
Corbyn’s non-attendance is neither a snub nor totally unimportant. His spokesperson does make a good point that David Cameron didn’t cancel all other engagements in order to attend his Privy Council meeting and the Labour leader does intend to go. But the real question is whether he hopes to be able to avoid a formal swearing involving the Queen and instead be appointed without having to bow and swear an oath pledging to be a ‘true and faithful servant unto the Queen’s Majesty’, that he will not allow anything to be said against the Queen, her honour, Crown or Dignity Royal and that he will to his ‘uttermost bear faith and allegiance to the Queen’s Majesty’.
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