IT’S one of the creaky old traditions of Britain’s creaky old constitutional monarchy – but not every MP elected to the House of Commons performs the oath to the Crown, and some who do have enraged parliamentary dinosaurs by making caveats when pledging their allegiance.
Swearing the oath – or its atheistic alternative the affirmation – is no mere piece of constitutional theatre. MPs who refuse to take it are barred from taking their seats and receiving their salaries.
Because of this, all sitting MPs have taken an oath of allegiance – though some passed up the opportunity to do so again on the accession of King Charles to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
READ MORE: Will the people of Glasgow pledge allegiance to King Charles? We found out
Abstentionist Irish nationalist MPs still refuse to take their seats in the House of Commons, meaning all seven of the Sinn Fein representatives of Northern Ireland have not sworn oaths, though they are technically MPs.
This practice dates back to the early 20th century but was reaffirmed after the 2017 election by then- Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who said his party had no “real interest in what happens in the British parliament”.
Undoubtedly the most famous example of an Irish republican who never took their seat in the Commons was Bobby Sands, a member of the Provisional IRA who was elected in 1981.
More a matter of practicalities than principles in his case, Sands won his seat from prison and died while on hunger strike just a month after the vote.
In response, Margaret Thatcher's government passed a law preventing prisoners serving a sentence of more than a year from running for office.
While republicans of all stripes might baulk at the idea of pledging their unswerving allegiance to an unelected head of state, they have to do it, resulting in a number of them putting their own spin on the ritual.
READ MORE: Celtic fans sing 'you can shove your coronation up your a***' at Old Firm clash
Coatbridge MP Steven Bonnar caused a storm in 2019 when he crossed his fingers as he made his “solemn affirmation” to the monarch.
But he was not the first to do so. The republican and atheist MP for West Ham Tony Banks made the move as well when he was sworn in in 1997. It didn’t seem to harm his career prospects as he was made a minister for sport and subsequently elevated to the House of Lords.
Mhairi Black also added caveats when she last swore in to Parliament, adding to the official script that her allegiance was “first and foremost” to her Paisley constituents and that she was making the pledge “for the purpose of the job”.
This could have been a nod to one of Black’s political heroes, the firebrand socialist MP Tony Benn who reportedly made similar comments when swearing allegiance.
Her colleague Gavin Newlands made similar embellishments, saying he was affirming in order to “serve my constituents”.
And the acerbic former Labour MP Dennis Skinner once reportedly quipped: “I solemnly swear that I will bear true and faithful allegiance to the Queen when she pays her income tax."
In the Scottish Parliament, MSPs are required to pledge their “true allegiance” to the monarch. The last time this happened – following the 2021 election – then-SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon prefaced her comments as such: “The Scottish National Party pledges loyalty to the people of Scotland, in line with the Scottish constitutional tradition of the sovereignty of the people.”
Meanwhile, Patrick Harvie said: “On behalf of the Scottish Green Party, I would like to reassert that our allegiance lies with the people of Scotland, who elected this parliament and who are sovereign, and that we look forward to the day when they can choose their own elected head of state.”
Former LibDem MP Norman Baker led a group of 22 parliamentarians in 2008 calling for the oath to be made voluntary. His efforts were met with opprobrium from the theatrical Tory MP for West Devon Geoffrey Cox, who fumed: “This is an act of uncomprehending constitutional vandalism. The Queen is the centre of the British constitution."
Naturally, he was unsuccessful.
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