Labour has said Jeremy Corbyn will sing the national anthem at ceremonial events after he was criticised for staying silent during a rendition on Tuesday.
The newly-elected leader came under fire, including from within his shadow cabinet, over his decision not to sing God Save The Queen at a Battle of Britain commemoration service.
Mr Corbyn told Sky News he had "stood in respect" throughout the ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle, as he thought about his parents who were air raid wardens during the Blitz.
When asked if he would sing the national anthem in the future, Mr Corbyn said: "I'm going to be at many events and I'll take part fully in those events.
"I don't see a problem like this."
He also said: "The issue surely is we had a memorial for the Battle of Britain. I was there, I showed respect for it and I'll show respect in the proper way at all future events. That is what I will be doing.
"The proper way is to take a full part in them and I will take a full part in them."
But later a Labour Party spokesman said: "What he meant was that 'taking part fully' would include singing the anthem.
"That is what he was saying in the interview this morning."
The veteran left-winger was speaking before facing David Cameron at the despatch box in his first Prime Minister's Questions.
His first outing at the traditional weekly session follows a rocky start to his party leadership.
After struggling to put together a frontbench team and facing criticism over the top jobs all going to men, disagreements have already emerged with members of his own shadow cabinet.
Following the anthem row, shadow minister for women Kate Green told Sky News it would have been a "really good gesture" towards military families and those who had lost loved ones, had he sung it.
Ms Green told Sky News: "I think if I had been there I would have sung it. I would have advised him to sing it.
"Not because of the content of the national anthem but because of what it symbolises for many people, in the way that it honours our country and also of course the people who have died fighting to protect our freedoms.
0 التعليقات:
إرسال تعليق