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As the controversy over Jeremy Corbyn’s membership of the Privy Council continued, Alistair Lexden returned to the issue in a letter published in the Financial Times on October 13— his first letter in that newspaper for some years. In it he suggested how a staunch left-wing politician like Mr Corbyn ought to have dealt with the matter.
Sir, Robert Shrimsley urges Jeremy Corbyn to “show principle” by making it clear that he will not kneel to gain admittance to the Privy Council (“Corbyn and the Queen”, Notebook, October 9) . Surely he would show that more convincingly by refusing to join it at all. Any worthwhile republican should be arguing that irresponsible governments of both parties have undermined respect for it by putting far too many people in it (taking sharp swipes at the Lords too on the same grounds). Today some 670 men and women can call themselves right honourable, up from under 300 at the Queen’s accession in 1952. Over 170 have been added in the last five years alone. There are now more PCs than MPs. All of them will be required to assemble at the start of a new reign. It might be wise to book the Royal Albert Hall.
A man of lifelong left-wing convictions like Mr Corbyn ought to have no difficulty in explaining why the purity of his principles requires him to keep away. As for confidential security briefings said to require “privy council terms”, all he has to do is to sign the Official Secrets Act.
Alistair Lexden
House of Lords