Richard Burgon MP calls for the abolition of the monarchy as he takes oath of allegiance to the Queen in Parliament
Video: 'I make this oath in order to serve my constituents'
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.Richard Burgon said his oath of allegiance to the Queen in the Commons to ensure he took his seat in the new Parliament - but not before adding a personal caveat.
Every member of Parliament is expected to be sworn in before the official State Opening next week by Queen Elizabeth.
However, the Labour MP for East Leeds, Mr Burgon, will not be looking forward to Her Majesty's annual visit to the Commons, and he made that very clear when he was "forced" to swear his allegiance to the British monarch.
Hear what Burgon said in the Commons by watching the video below:
MPs have the option of swearing or affirming their allegiance to the Queen.
There have been a number of mishaps along the way during the new session.
Hannah Bardell, the SNP MP for Livingstone, made an error on first attempt and had to take the oath again.
Another Labour MP, Clive Lewis, was deemed not smart enough by Lyn Brown, the MP for West Ham, and she helped him to adjust his shirt and jacket.
"Your collar either needs to be in or out", she told Lewis.
Lewis replied: "Oh, thank you so much, my mum would have had a go at me for that."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments