The ‘scruffy’ grey anorak worn by Jeremy Corbyn at yesterday’s Armistice Day service is from Marks & Spencer and costs £79, it was revealed today.
The Labour leader’s hooded waterproof jacket stood out at the Cenotaph in a sea of black overcoats as smartly-dressed politicians and dignitaries attended the Remembrance Sunday commemorations in London.
Last year Mr Corbyn wore a smart black dress coat but jettisoned it for this year’s 100th anniversary commemorations and replaced it with a mac from M&S.
The day before he lay the wreath he was photographed wearing the same coat while eating chips on the pier during a visit to Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire.
Mr Corbyn modelled M&S clothing on the cover of GQ magazine last year and was gifted a suit from the high street store by a neighbour after he won the Labour leadership contest in 2016.
Questions have been raised over why he wore a mac yesterday instead of the smarter black coat from a year earlier.
Corbyn’s coat row: Critics of the Labour politician were angered by his choice of jacket, with some saying he looked ‘scruffy’ – last year he wore a smart dress coat (right)
Mr Corbyn wore a £79 coat from M&S at the Cenotaph yesterday
Several people have pointed out that Mr Corbyn wore a smart black jacket last year but not for the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War this year
A critic tweeted: ‘Last year he wore a smart black coat like everyone else, so clearly knows the dress code’ and another added: ‘Corbyn wore a perfectly suitable coat last year so this was a deliberate choice to try make a political stunt out of this solemn occasion’.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wearing the same coat while weating chips on the pier in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, on Saturday
One viewer wrote: ‘Mr Corbyn does own a black coat, he wore it last year. Perhaps he was paying tribute to Michael Foot?’
Lee James tweeted: ‘He wore a black coat last year, why not this year?’
Mr Corbyn has been asked to comment on the allegations.
His outfit yesterday evoked memories of former Labour leader Michael Foot’s infamous donkey jacket moment 37 years earlier, when he was subjected to barbs over his appearance at the Cenotaph in 1981.
Yesterday scores said they were ‘shocked’ at the politician’s choice of attire, with one man claiming he looked as though he was ‘going fishing’.
Princes William and Harry, as well as their father Prince Charles were in full military uniform as they attended the parade in Whitehall. Others, including Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and David Cameron, attended wearing dress coats.
The criticism of Mr Corbyn was similar to that delivered in the Michael Foot ‘donkey jacket’ row in 1981.
The then Labour party leader was blasted for wearing the mid-length jacket.
Another politician in his party said he was ‘disgusted to see that the leader of Her Majesty’s opposition looked more like an Irish navvy than a party leader’.
Later, it emerged the coat was in fact an expensive one, chosen by Mr Foot’s wife Jill to make him look elegant.
Britain’s leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn lays a wreath during a National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph – wearing an anorak
Those surrounding Corbyn opted for dress coats as they remebered the war dead
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stands beside Michael Foot in 1981 – on the day he was accused of wearing a ‘donkey jacket’ to the Cenotaph
Mr Corbyn bowed his head after laying the wreath, and wore a poppy, yet scores of critics were angry about his jacket
However, critics of Mr Corbyn said he looked ‘scruffy’ beside them in his choice of jacket.
TalkRADIO Presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer was among the critics.
She said on Twitter: ‘I know it’s petty but does @jeremycorbyn seriously think that a bright red tie and a scruffy hooded coat are appropriate wear for the Cenotaph? Or is he just trying to signal to his Leftie anti-war chums that he doesn’t really want to be there? Such poor judgement.’
Ben Youngman added: ‘Nice to see that Jeremy Corbyn has turned up for remembrance day dressed as a scruffy geography teacher! Not even wearing a black jacket! At least he’s got a poppy on I suppose.’
Tina Elliot said: ‘Scruffy and disrespectful #Corbyn it wouldn’t take much to wear smart attire on this special remembrance day Why do you feel the need to stand out and be an embarrassment to our country? Shame on you!’
Cheryl Townsend added: ‘Could @jeremycorbyn look any more scruffy for the remembrance service. This is a man who wants to lead our country #joker.’
Elaine parry urged him to get a new coat.
She said: ‘We’ll have to say it Jeremy Corbyn still hasn’t got any respect at the cenotaph with his purple anorak on with hood inside out scruffy not even holding his wreath up someone buy him a Black Crombie for goodness sake to show some respect.’
Prime Minister Theresa May teamed a smart black coat with a hat and a large string of pearls.
She also laid a wreath, alongside German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
However, supporters of Corbyn said his coat does not matter at all.
Richard Oneill said: ‘Before you idiots start banging on about Jeremy Corbybn’s coat. I’m a 79 year old ex Army, “War pensioner” And I don’t give a flying toss what he wears.
‘He is the only politician I know who would actively protect ex service personnel, unlike the Tories who create their problems!’
Others said his choice of clothing does not matter as they praised him for his politics.
Another user added: ‘I see they’re out for Jeremy Corbyn again – it’s the wrong coat this time. You want to judge political leaders on respect they show for war? Fine. Check their voting record, not their clothing: this man shows more respect than anyone.’
Lined up alongside an impeccably turned out Margaret Thatcher in 1981, Foot stood out in a patterned tie and distinctively collared coat.
Times diarist Michael Horsnell jibed that Foot was ‘dressed as if he had just returned from walking his dog on Hampstead Heath, in green donkey jacket, sneakers and Paisley tie’.
The Labour MP for Derby South at the time, Walter Johnson, was even harsher, saying Foot looked like ‘an-out of-work navvy’ and had displayed ‘gross discourtesy to the servicemen he was supposed to be honouring’.
For many, the image at the Cenotaph summed up the problems with the shambolic-looking left-wing academic.
Labour was later routed at the 1983 general election, with the party’s manifesto branded the ‘longest suicide note in history’.
Ironically, that was the year Mr Corbyn was first election as an MP.
Foot later said the Queen Mother had voiced approval for his outfit by remarking: ‘That’s a lovely warm coat you’ve got on’.
Angered viewers of the Remembrance Sunday parade said they were outraged at his coat
Critics said ‘only Jeremy Corbyn’ would shun a dress coat for an anorak but Michael Foot did something similar in 1981
Among the critics some people pointed out the the Michael Foot episode while asking whether his clothes at the important event were the kind of attire a leader should wear