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| New Leader Turns British Labour Party to the Left | |
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| LONDON — After three decades on the far-left fringes of British politics, the new leader of the Labour Party in Britain, Jeremy Corbyn, confronted several unfamiliar problems on Monday, including whether to give top jobs to internal opponents and whether to kiss the hand of Queen Elizabeth II. | LONDON — After three decades on the far-left fringes of British politics, the new leader of the Labour Party in Britain, Jeremy Corbyn, confronted several unfamiliar problems on Monday, including whether to give top jobs to internal opponents and whether to kiss the hand of Queen Elizabeth II. |
| Announcing his policy team two days after winning the party leadership, Mr. Corbyn, 66, handed Labour’s sensitive economic portfolio to John McDonnell, a friend, ally and ideological soul mate, but he also allocated senior positions to more centrist figures. | Announcing his policy team two days after winning the party leadership, Mr. Corbyn, 66, handed Labour’s sensitive economic portfolio to John McDonnell, a friend, ally and ideological soul mate, but he also allocated senior positions to more centrist figures. |
| Also on Monday, the office of Prime Minister David Cameron said Mr. Corbyn had accepted an invitation to join the Privy Council, an ancient body that advises the monarch and whose origins date to the court of the Norman kings. The functions of the Privy Council are now limited and largely low key, but the opposition leader is normally a member. Mr. Corbyn, however, has been more outspoken than most of his predecessors about royalty, and once called for the royal family to move from Buckingham Palace to a more modest dwelling. Several privy councilors have described kissing the queen’s hand — or brushing it with their lips — during their induction ceremony, which also involves taking an oath of allegiance. | Also on Monday, the office of Prime Minister David Cameron said Mr. Corbyn had accepted an invitation to join the Privy Council, an ancient body that advises the monarch and whose origins date to the court of the Norman kings. The functions of the Privy Council are now limited and largely low key, but the opposition leader is normally a member. Mr. Corbyn, however, has been more outspoken than most of his predecessors about royalty, and once called for the royal family to move from Buckingham Palace to a more modest dwelling. Several privy councilors have described kissing the queen’s hand — or brushing it with their lips — during their induction ceremony, which also involves taking an oath of allegiance. |
| Mr. Corbyn’s emphatic election victory, with almost 60 percent support among those entitled to vote, produced one of the biggest recent political upsets in Britain and underlines the volatility of politics in Europe, where voters appear increasingly drawn to the socialist left or the nationalist right. | Mr. Corbyn’s emphatic election victory, with almost 60 percent support among those entitled to vote, produced one of the biggest recent political upsets in Britain and underlines the volatility of politics in Europe, where voters appear increasingly drawn to the socialist left or the nationalist right. |
| Among the groups that have welcomed his election is the Spanish leftist party Podemos, which has gained support by opposing austerity measures. | Among the groups that have welcomed his election is the Spanish leftist party Podemos, which has gained support by opposing austerity measures. |
| Mr. Corbyn opposes cuts in welfare spending, wants to inject billions of pounds into the economy, has criticized NATO and opposes British involvement in military strikes in Syria. | Mr. Corbyn opposes cuts in welfare spending, wants to inject billions of pounds into the economy, has criticized NATO and opposes British involvement in military strikes in Syria. |
| Despite his popularity among Labour campaigners, Mr. Corbyn has less support among his own lawmakers in Parliament, making the appointment of his political team, known as the shadow cabinet, a delicate process. | Despite his popularity among Labour campaigners, Mr. Corbyn has less support among his own lawmakers in Parliament, making the appointment of his political team, known as the shadow cabinet, a delicate process. |
| The most striking appointment was that of Mr. McDonnell, who once faced criticism for saying that he would “like to go back to the 1980s and assassinate Thatcher,” a reference to Margaret Thatcher, the former Conservative prime minister who died in 2013. | The most striking appointment was that of Mr. McDonnell, who once faced criticism for saying that he would “like to go back to the 1980s and assassinate Thatcher,” a reference to Margaret Thatcher, the former Conservative prime minister who died in 2013. |
| Mr. McDonnell’s appointment dashed the hopes of some on the right of the Labour Party that such a sensitive post would go to a less controversial, and more centrist, figure. | Mr. McDonnell’s appointment dashed the hopes of some on the right of the Labour Party that such a sensitive post would go to a less controversial, and more centrist, figure. |
| “I am aghast, really,” Charles Clarke, a former Labour home secretary, told the BBC. “The choice he made was to go down the most hard-line position there was.” | “I am aghast, really,” Charles Clarke, a former Labour home secretary, told the BBC. “The choice he made was to go down the most hard-line position there was.” |
| The job is seen as crucial by those who believe that Labour lost the general election to the Conservatives, in May this year, mainly because of its failure to convince voters in the center that it could be trusted with the economy. Mr. Corbyn’s agenda, which includes nationalization of some strategic industries, was defended vigorously by Mr. McDonnell before Saturday’s election result. | The job is seen as crucial by those who believe that Labour lost the general election to the Conservatives, in May this year, mainly because of its failure to convince voters in the center that it could be trusted with the economy. Mr. Corbyn’s agenda, which includes nationalization of some strategic industries, was defended vigorously by Mr. McDonnell before Saturday’s election result. |
| Mr. McDonnell told The Guardian that privatizations over the last four decades meant that British people had been “robbed” by swindlers — “the spivs snatching up the public assets being given the license to print money.” | Mr. McDonnell told The Guardian that privatizations over the last four decades meant that British people had been “robbed” by swindlers — “the spivs snatching up the public assets being given the license to print money.” |
| He added that a future Corbyn-led Labour government would reserve the right to bring back any newly privatized assets “into public ownership with either no compensation or with any undervaluation deducted from any compensation for re-nationalization.” | He added that a future Corbyn-led Labour government would reserve the right to bring back any newly privatized assets “into public ownership with either no compensation or with any undervaluation deducted from any compensation for re-nationalization.” |
| Several prominent Labour figures have refused to serve in the shadow cabinet. But Mr. Corbyn did give a senior position, the shadow home secretary, to Andy Burnham, one of his defeated rivals for the party leadership. Among other appointments was Charles Falconer, who was given the justice portfolio and is a friend of the former Labour prime minister Tony Blair. | Several prominent Labour figures have refused to serve in the shadow cabinet. But Mr. Corbyn did give a senior position, the shadow home secretary, to Andy Burnham, one of his defeated rivals for the party leadership. Among other appointments was Charles Falconer, who was given the justice portfolio and is a friend of the former Labour prime minister Tony Blair. |
| In a statement, Mr. Corbyn described his new team as “a strong combination of change and continuity that will now come together to hold this government to account.” Although the highest-profile jobs went to men, 16 of the 31 posts were given to women. | In a statement, Mr. Corbyn described his new team as “a strong combination of change and continuity that will now come together to hold this government to account.” Although the highest-profile jobs went to men, 16 of the 31 posts were given to women. |
| The composition of the policy team underlined the fact that Mr. Corbyn’s internal critics also face difficult decisions. Several have had to decide whether to stand apart from his team, and hope that Mr. Corbyn’s leadership fails, or to stay inside the tent and fight for more moderate left-wing policies. | The composition of the policy team underlined the fact that Mr. Corbyn’s internal critics also face difficult decisions. Several have had to decide whether to stand apart from his team, and hope that Mr. Corbyn’s leadership fails, or to stay inside the tent and fight for more moderate left-wing policies. |
| Writing in The Guardian, Roy Hattersley, a Labour right-winger and veteran of internal struggles against the left during the 1980s, called on other lawmakers to try to help shape the party’s direction, adding that policy was not “the private property of the leader.” | Writing in The Guardian, Roy Hattersley, a Labour right-winger and veteran of internal struggles against the left during the 1980s, called on other lawmakers to try to help shape the party’s direction, adding that policy was not “the private property of the leader.” |
| “That is why refusing to serve in the shadow cabinet is self-indulgent nonsense,” he said. | “That is why refusing to serve in the shadow cabinet is self-indulgent nonsense,” he said. |