MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Corbyn criticized for not singing the national anthem during service to mark Battle of Britain anniversary
UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn opted to stand in silence during the singing of the national anthem at a service to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain on Tuesday. The new Labour leader, who believes in the abolition of the monarchy, has faced criticism for not joining in. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesThis guy is his own worst enemy. The Tories just need to stand back and let him do all the work of losing the next election.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 10:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0He wants to lead Her Majesty's Government? Rude and a hypocrite. One can be a pacifist and republican in private but not when representing a Party at an official function. If he aspires to be Prime Minister then he will be representing our country. He needs to learn some respect.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 10:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0I know he is being lambasted and mocked in the press but he does not help himself when he acts like the spoilt little rich kid rebel who won't grow up.
@1 He misreads the majority of the British electorate who adore the Royal family and hold the armed forces in great esteem, especially those that have given their lives for our freedom. If he really wants to push a more socialist agenda he is going about it in the wrong way. But then again, I think no one is more surprised by his election than him.
Every nation has a head of Sate - if you disagree with the way that person is selected - then that is fair enough in democracy, but you have to learn to grow up into an adult and accept that system until you can get a majority who agree with you to change it. - And to insult and show such disrespect to your head of State in public is such a way is just plain Petulant-Sulky-Childlike.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 10:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0And a far bigger DIRECT insult to those surviving veterans and the families of all those who did not survive.
Day one and Jeremy C is already well down the path of “auto-destruct”
In every democracy everyone has the right to change their government and the way it works via elections. Also and I may not like what I see and hear, but with freedom of speech, they not only have the right to be an asshole they also have the right to be stupid and disrespectful. I see the USA and Republican displaying this everyday. Unless one cares to legislate respect.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 10:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0I agree that in a democracy there is room for the whole gamut of political views. You can't have a democracy and then chose who's opinions can be heard.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 11:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0I think Corbyn is way out of his depth.He decided to ask questions the general public tweeted him at PMQ's. Really? This is not some Town Hall meeting but a chance for the opposition to showcase their policies and take the government to task. A very poor effort.
Islander1
Sep 16th, 2015 - 12:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I was surprised to learn recently that Switzerland actually doesn't have a head of state.
Just thought that was interesting.
@4. I suggest that what Corbyn, and you, appear to have forgotten goes beyond freedom of speech.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 12:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Members of the Labour party, not Labour supporters/voters, voted him into the position he now occupies. But, supposedly, he represents them all. It isn't a case of personal choice. I wonder how many Labour members, supporters and voters would refuse to sing our national anthem. He is also, supposedly, the Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition. Does he now plan to bring Parliament itself into disrepute? He may be anti-monarchist, but he should have thought about that before seeking office. If he keeps it up, the Labour party may decide he's unelectable as PM and dump him.
Hey! Whata abouta dis versa..
Sep 16th, 2015 - 02:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.
Unfortunately Elaine with freedoms come the ugly side. But in reality this is not my problem. Over here........I have a larger malestrom of the cesspool of politicians to deal with:
Sep 16th, 2015 - 02:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Trump.....as the joke continues on....and let's not forget the corporate condoms, Cruz, Bush, Rubio et al. All of whom lacks complete respect for anything and is hell bent on creating the Christian Taliban.
I would take an asshole politician any day, not singing the national anthem over these schmucks.
I would rather take the ugly than give up the freedom. I don't think you should silence extreme opinion. I remember the uproar when the Nick Griffin, Leader of the BNP, was invited on Question Time. (A weekly political debating programme where members of the public ask a representative panel of politicians random questions about current affairs). Many said he should not have been given a platform but others, like me, disagreed. They should be given a platform so the general voting public can form their own opinion. Nick Griffin revealed himself in all his unpalatable and prejudiced glory and made a bit of a tit of himself in the process. He guaranteed he could never hold any real power.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 02:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I agree that I will accept the ugly as well. Look would Ecuador has given up?
Sep 16th, 2015 - 03:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You've been to the USA so you very well know what we accept in order to have the many freedoms we have. But honestly, I do no agree with all of those freedoms. e.g. If someone is famous, a celebrity or a politician, the media can photoshop and even virtually slander them, all because they are a public figure.
We have a lot more of your Corbyn's than you can ever imagine on both sides of the isle.
I am in the US often and will be again next month. I agree it is full of disparate people and ideals and yet united. There is much to dislike but far more to like about the States. IMO. Where else could Trump be quite so entertaining? Loved his non-foreign policy reveal. You have to wonder if he is working for the Democrats.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 04:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@2Elaine
Sep 16th, 2015 - 04:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0He wants to lead Her Majesty's Government? Rude and a hypocrite. One can be a pacifist and republican in private but not when representing a Party at an official function. If he aspires to be Prime Minister then he will be representing our country. He needs to learn some respect.
Thats utterly ridiculous. Dont change the status quo because thats just the way it is?!! You seem to want an argentine or argentines to challenge 'the system' in Argentina... Or maybe noone should do anything because thats just the way politics and culture is in Argentina...?!
I know he is being lambasted and mocked in the press but he does not help himself when he acts like the spoilt little rich kid rebel who won't grow up.
Agreed. Hes not helping himself. He needs a new PR team or he needs to stick 100% to his principles and who knows maybe something will grow from that. To dither is perhaps the worst thing a politician can do from an electability pov
@1 He misreads the majority of the British electorate who adore the Royal family and hold the armed forces in great esteem, especially those that have given their lives for our freedom. If he really wants to push a more socialist agenda he is going about it in the wrong way. But then again, I think no one is more surprised by his election than him.
Strongly disagree. ADORING the royal family/establishment is a common attitude in much less than 10% of the population - hard conservatives, rich country types etc ie the establishment. The rest is made up of those who dont really think about the issue but are entertained and swayed by the intense PR ('Keep smiling and kissing babies and opening hospitals Will'), the pomp, the 'free' concerts etc (bread and circuses) and of course republicans and those who dont care about the system.
NOone, not a single soul, of my friends and the circles I move in ADORE the royal family.
@13. Perhaps you're in the wrong circles. The fact is that England, Britain, the United Kingdom has been a monarchy for at least 1600 years. You don't give that up easily. We can look at countries that decided to become republics. The United States had little to give up. France moved from a monarchy to an “empire”. Spain is virtually ungovernable and doesn't know what it wants. Germany and Italy haven't been “countries” long enough to count. The United Kingdom moved to a “constitutional monarchy”. That's fair.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 06:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Amongst other considerations, you should go figure out what all these republican “presidents” cost “their” countries. Start with the TWO 747s, the innumerable Marine helicopters, the cars and all the personnel that the US president “needs”. How many “presidents” need to try to compete?
You should try considering the more than 60% of the UK population that support the monarchy. That's the ones “who dont really think about the issue but are entertained and swayed by the intense PR”. And what do you “think” about? Here's a start. Do some research and find out how much of the British Isles the monarchy actually owns. Heard about the Crown Estate? I believe it hands around £240 million every year to the Treasury. It has no need to. And, before you even think it, I and many others would not be willing to start a new “order” with theft.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has held to the promise she made in 1947. “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”. That's 68 years. Have you ever held to a promise that long? I doubt you're old enough. Remember how members of “Republic” were treated during Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee? Probably lucky you weren't lynched!
@13 I don't agree with you and it appears that neither does Corbyn who has stated he will sing the National Anthem at future events. (He probably has to learn the words) He will also be swearing allegiance to The Queen next week. See how the establishment is bigger than one person? It is what protects us from becoming like Argentina or Venezuela.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 06:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You are right that we don't talk much about the Royal family on a day to day basis but try taking them away and you will see how supported they are.
Corbyn seems to be backtracking and reinventing himself by the minute and he needs to because he has little support from his own MPs. Only 250,000 Labour members voted for Corbyn and he will be impotent unless he can lead his own MPs.
Is it true, that he did sing to the red flag on Saturday,
Sep 16th, 2015 - 06:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0whatever that is.
I so hope he manages somehow to hang on; Labour will be finished for years. It'll occassionally be embarrassing and ugly, but worth it to keep the loonies as far from power as possible.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 07:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I agree we need a strong opposition.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 07:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 013 Tobers, I suspect that you will be one of the minority that either voted for or will be voting Comrade Corbyn? Adore may be a rather over strong word, but I think you will find that over 70% at the most recent poll showed the British public to admire and want to retain the Monarchy. I believe that of that 70% far more will be ordinary people, and not the 'establishment'.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 08:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Off course,
Sep 16th, 2015 - 09:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0the BBC has just stated that the British government will now commit British troops, in a large quantity with air lift as peace keeps to South Sudan..
Protest is all very well but that was niether the time nor the place. If he feels that strongly he should have stayed away altogether.
Sep 16th, 2015 - 11:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0With Comrade Corbyn as Labour leader, who needs the Tories? He'll do their job for them.
Sep 17th, 2015 - 04:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0What a joke. I'm not surprised that he will not sing it. For clarity the tune is “My Country, 'Tis of Thee” with the following words:
Sep 19th, 2015 - 02:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen!
As you can see singing the British national anthem would cause any reasonable person to throw up.
The US acquired a national anthem only comparatively recently. I think that we should go back to not having a national anthem.
#23
Sep 19th, 2015 - 08:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0Have you seen the words of the original Argentine national anthem ?
A load of bombastic crap !
Considering your Falklands escapade the words ring rather hollow !
Victory to the Argentine warrior
covered with its brilliant wings,
and embarrassed at this view the tyrant
with infamy took to flight.
Its flags, its arms surrender
as trophies to freedom,
and above wings of glory the people rise
the worthy throne of their great majesty.
From one pole to the other resounds
the fame of the sonorous bugler,
and of America the name showing
they repeat “Mortals, hear:
The United Provinces of the South
have now displayed their most honorable throne”.
And the free people of the world reply:
“We salute the great people of Argentina!”
May the laurels be eternal,
that we knew how to win.
Let us live crowned with glory...
or swear to die gloriously!
@15
Sep 19th, 2015 - 04:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The Royal family is not what 'protects' The UK from becoming Argentina or Venezuela. I think youll find thats neoliberalism of which the Royal family are connected to. The USA, a republic like Argentina and Venezuela, isnt Argentina or Venezuela...
For the general UK public the royal family are allowed their place and privileges because they are entertaining like the Beckhams or the Kardashians and 'they give back to the public' all of course orchestrated through a large busy PR team. Good job the Queen and Will know how to play the game unlike Prince Phillip and Charles... Some people adore the Germanic Queen as a matriarchal figure placed by God in her position. These people are definately a minority. People buy all sorts of stuff beit physical or an ideology because its a human trait. And even if Royal family were adored by the majority that doesnt make it right. Societies and nations often get it wrong. Nazism was massively popular in 1930s Germany does its popularity morally justify it?
You didnt say why the UK shouldnt be allowed to challenge its political system whilst you frequently say that Argentina should. For all its faults Argentina is probably a fairer society than the UK. Living in the UK is great if you earn more than £50 000 a year or inherited a large sum or property. If you are a teacher or a nurse let alone work in a supermarket on a zero hours contract - good luck.
@19
Im not a supporter of Corbyn even if he initially suggested he was anti monarchist. He seems to think like many kneejerk leftists that the colonialism of India was the same as the colonialism of the Falkland Islands and isnt aware of Argentina's own colonialism. So far he seems like a weak ignorant dithering ideologist.
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