Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Jeremy Corbyn bow at Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday sparks row on Twitter

The 'incident' comes after the Labour leader decided not to sing the National Anthem at a service in September

Adam Withnall
Sunday 08 November 2015 07:41 EST
Comments
Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Prime Minister David Cameron wait to lay wreaths during the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph memorial in Whitehall, central London
Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Prime Minister David Cameron wait to lay wreaths during the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph memorial in Whitehall, central London (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

After the controversy surrounding his decision not to sing the National Anthem at a Battle of Britain memorial service in September, Jeremy Corbyn’s appearance at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday was always likely to come under some scrutiny.

And moments after he laid a wreath to honour Britain’s war dead, there was a flurry of reaction on Twitter from those who felt he hadn’t given enough of a bow.

The criticism largely appeared to follow two lines – those who were outraged he hadn’t bowed at all, and those who felt his bow was only “half-hearted”.

For others, the uproar itself on Remembrance Sunday was a cause for dismay, with supporters of Mr Corbyn mocking attempts to provide a “microanalysis” of the Labour leader’s actions.

You can decide for yourself if Mr Corbyn’s bow was respectful enough – and indeed if it warranted such a Twitter storm in the first place – by watching it below.

The Queen was the first to lay a wreath on Sunday morning, leading the nation in honouring members of the armed forces killed in conflict as services took place around the country.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in