A Norfolk MP who protested against pledging allegiance to the King when being sworn in to Parliament has had to do it for a second time - after being warned he could lose his seat.
Norwich South MP Clive Lewis was sent an official letter from the House of Commons warning him, because he omitted four words from his initial swearing in, it could trigger a by-election or legal action.
After omitting to swear allegiance to King Charles' “heirs and successors” last week, I've had to take the oath again in order to sit in the House of Commons. The majority of the public are committed to democracy, and so I hope one day MPs can swear an oath based on those values. pic.twitter.com/h7fTDdEjxX
— Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) July 16, 2024
The Labour MP, who retained his seat at this month's election, last week reluctantly took an oath of allegiance to the Crown, which members of the Houses of Parliament are required by law to do.
He had said: "I take this oath under protest and in the hope that one day my fellow citizens will democratically decide to live in a republic.
"Until that time I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, according to law."
However, the full affirmation also includes “his heirs and successors” after mention of the King.
The omission of those words led to Mr Lewis being sent a letter by the House of Commons Journal Office warning him there was "doubt" about whether his affirmation was legally valid.
The letter stated that, under the 1866 Parliamentary Oaths Act, if the oath had not been made correctly Mr Lewis could be fined £500 and have their seat declared vacant "as if they were dead".
Mr Lewis subsequently returned to the House of Commons to be sworn in again on Tuesday.
He said: "I was elected to Parliament to represent my constituents and our country to the best of my ability to defend democracy and uphold human rights and one day I hope all Members of Parliament will be entitled to swear an oath of allegiance based on those values.
"I do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law."
Speaking afterwards, Mr Lewis said he was not "showboating" and did not enjoy the vitriol he had been subjected to after his initial protest.
He said: "With the way democracy is going in the US and Europe, this issue is really important.
"In a healthy, confident democracy, we should be encouraging debate."
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