Right royal stunt

aSKInG Labour conference delegates to put down the red Flag and pick up the royal Standard was always going to be tricky. and so it proved yesterday.

after a short, awkward speech in praise of the late Queen, Sir Keir Starmer – who himself once advocated the abolition of the monarchy – asked the comrades to join a rendition of God Save the King.

Presumably worried they might not actually know it, party managers brought in a professional soprano to help them with the tune and handed round crib cards inscribed with the lyrics.

even then, this sudden burst of royalism was less than convincing. Indeed, some union delegates found they had more important things to do and stayed away.

If Sir Keir was hoping to rebut the charge that Labour is unpatriotic and riddled with class envy, he has a lot more work to do. One desultory verse of the national anthem doesn’t quite cut it.