Их нравы: лидер оппозиции Д. Корбин слишком занят чтобы присоединиться к тайному Совету королевы

Их нравы: лидер оппозиции Д. Корбин слишком занят чтобы присоединиться к тайному Совету королевы
Источник: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/11917496/Exclusive-Jeremy-Corbyn-snubs-the-Queen-saying-he-is-too-busy-to-be-sworn-in-to-the-Privy-Council.html

Labour leader had been expected to be sworn in at the meeting, the first since he became Labour leader last month.  Jeremy Corbyn has snubbed the Queen by refusing to be sworn into the Privy Council on Thursday, as it emerged he could use a loophole to join the advisory body without ever meeting Her Majesty.

Labour leader had been expected to be sworn in at the meeting, the first since he became Labour leader last month.  Jeremy Corbyn has snubbed the Queen by refusing to be sworn into the Privy Council on Thursday, as it emerged he could use a loophole to join the advisory body without ever meeting Her Majesty. The Labour leader, a lifelong republican, is known to have reservations about kneeling in front of the Queen and kissing her hand as he swears an oath of allegiance to her, which is the normal process when a new Privy Councillor is sworn in. And having refused to sing the National Anthem at a Battle of Britain 75th anniversary service last month, Mr Corbyn tried to dodge the issue by saying he could not attend tomorrow’s meeting due to unspecified “prior engagements”.

The Telegraph has learnt that Mr Corbyn could choose to avoid meeting the Queen altogether, using a mechanism called an Order in Council, by which the Privy Council, including the monarch, agrees to appoint a new member without them being present. For that to happen Mr Corbyn, who has never met the Queen, would still have to confirm that he had taken the oath, but would avoid kneeling before the sovereign. If he does so, it is understood he would be the first Leader of the Opposition to refuse to be sworn in the presence of the monarch. Orders in Council are usually used only for Privy Council members who are based abroad, such as prime ministers of Commonwealth realms.

One member of the Council was appalled at the snub, saying: “Firstly it is deeply insulting and secondly it is not grown up – not to go to see the monarch is just extraordinary. “I am sure that what they would have done is not make him kneel. But what this really means is that he is not prepared to put himself in the position of a serious leader who can be trusted.” The Queen, who returned to London from her summer holiday in Balmoral on Wednesday, will meet her Privy Councillors for the first time in 10 weeks on Thursday at Buckingham Palace, and might reasonably have expected Mr Corbyn to take the opportunity to be sworn, a process which gives him the right to receive government intelligence briefings.

One member of the Council was appalled at the snub, saying: “Firstly it is deeply insulting and secondly it is not grown up – not to go to see the monarch is just extraordinary. “I am sure that what they would have done is not make him kneel. But what this really means is that he is not prepared to put himself in the position of a serious leader who can be trusted.”  The Queen, who returned to London from her summer holiday in Balmoral on Wednesday, will meet her Privy Councillors for the first time in 10 weeks on Thursday at Buckingham Palace, and might reasonably have expected Mr Corbyn to take the opportunity to be sworn, a process which gives him the right to receive government intelligence briefings.

One Whitehall source said: “The whole point is that he is entering into an agreement with the State which gives him access to material and creates a relationship of trust. "If he were to go down the route of becoming a member through an Order in Council that would probably be an indication that he never intended to attend. "He is under no obligation to attend in person but any leader of the Opposition would normally be expected to be there."

Mr Corbyn was invited by David Cameron to join the Privy Council when he phoned him to congratulate him on becoming Leader of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition, to use his full title, after he was chosen by the Labour Party on September 12.
It was then up to his staff to contact Buckingham Palace and confirm the date when he will attend to be sworn. Buckingham Palace does not issue a formal invitation.

Mr Corbyn’s spokesman said the Labour leader was invited to attend Thursday’s meeting but had sent his apologies, citing “prior engagements”. A source close to Mr Corbyn insisted: "It's not a snub."He declined to say when he might attend a meeting of the Council, saying: “That needs to be resolved. I don’t know what his timetable is.”

КОММЕНТАРИЙ:

Беспрецедентно однако. Похоже хваленая британская система может наконец
посыпаться. По крайней мере хотелось бы надеяться. Да уж и пора бы. Сколько
можно? Ну не сразу конечно, постепенно, но неуклонно...