The Daily Telegraph's Jeremy Corbyn Coverage Isn't Going Down Well Even With Its Readers

Even The Telegraph's Readers Think Its Coverage Of Jeremy Corbyn Is Ridiculous
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, right, and Leader of the opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, centre, with SNP representative Angus Robertson, left, attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in London, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, extreme foreground right. Remembrance Sunday is held each year to commemorate the service men and women who fought in past military conflicts. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, right, and Leader of the opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, centre, with SNP representative Angus Robertson, left, attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in London, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, extreme foreground right. Remembrance Sunday is held each year to commemorate the service men and women who fought in past military conflicts. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Readers of the Daily Telegraph have hit out at the paper for its coverage of Jeremy Corbyn'sbow at the Cenotaph during the Remembrance Sunday service.

The broadsheet's article outlined criticism of the Labour leader for "only slightly moving his head after laying a traditional wreath of poppies".

It went on to quote former Conservative defence minister, Sir Gerald Howarth, and an etiquette expert, William Hanson, both of whom decided Corbyn's bow was not deep enough.

The bow in question

Hanson said: "Protocol dictates that while his bow did not not necessarily have to be deep, like a theatrical bow and scrape, it should have gone down around 45 degrees from the waist.

"It is his first time in this role at the Cenotaph and he is not cut from the cloth of a statesman."

Howarth took a slightly more direct approach and called Corbyn an "embarrassment".

A poll within the article however showed the majority of readers of the article did not agree.

The sentiment was also reflected in the comments section.

Telegraph Comments

The Daily Telegraph's Charles Moore was more favourable, despite a backhanded compliment.

He wrote: "He comported himself appropriately. Contrary to some comment, there was nothing wrong with his slight bow as he laid his wreath. He wore unobjectionable clothes, a red poppy and a respectful expression."

The Labour leader drew much criticism over his bow, despite being the only party leader to stay behind after the service to mingle with veterans, even reportedly shunning a VIP reception.

Corbyn also had to hit back at comments from Britain’s most senior armed forces chief after he warned that the Labour leader's refusal to use nuclear weapons would be a ‘worry’ if he became Prime Minister.

Chief of Defence Staff Sir Nick Houghton sparked a huge row as he laid bare his fear that Mr Corbyn could undermine the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent.

Asked by the BBC’s Andrew Marr for a response to Mr Corbyn’s vow never to press the nuclear button, General Houghton replied: “It would worry me if that thought was translated into power, as it were.”

But Mr Corbyn declared that the military chief had overstepped the mark and had breached long-standing constitutional principles of the separation between the armed forces and politicians.

"It is a matter of serious concern that the chief of the defence staff has today intervened directly in issues of political dispute. It is essential in a democracy that the military remains political neutral at all times," Mr Corbyn said.

"By publicly taking sides in current political arguments, Sir Nicholas Houghton has clearly breached that constitutional principle. Accordingly, I am writing to the defence secretary to ask him to take action to ensure that the neutrality of the armed forces is upheld."

Remembrance Sunday 2015 in Pictures

Close

What's Hot