As everyone around him nods their head to acknowledge Her Majesty, Corbyn stubbornly refuses to bow. He then winks to a colleague. Emboldened, Jezza not selling out on his republican views…
UPDATE: Team Jez say Corbyn observed the correct protocol and that he was not expected to bow. They reckon Theresa May got the protocol wrong…
UPDATE II: Guido and Damian McBride have had a look through the archives at previous State Openings of Parliament to check the precedent. Neither Dave nor Jez bowed last year, though in 2013 Cameron and Ed Miliband did bow their heads to acknowledge the Queen. In 2009 Gordon Brown bowed his head too, so the previous Tory and last two Labour leaders all felt bowing was appropriate at some point. Guido reckons it is fair to say bowing is very much optional and not mandatory, and Corbyn – as expected with his long-held republican beliefs – decided against…
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