Hello all, me again.
I was just wondering what the regulations are for acknowledging Politicians. I can’t tell if we come to attention, salute or otherwise.
Obviously they are not royalty but I’m pretty sure they have to hold some sort of commission from the Queen to be made an MP, PM or otherwise.
I’m just curious, any replies will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Ask @Teflon it becomes apparent he loves MPs
I’d salute them as a matter of courtesy…probably wrong but better than getting it the wrong way around and not saluting
Quote below taken from this document
Guidance for the single Services is contained within Queen’s Regulations’ and Ceremonial
publications and repeated in drill manuals.
it is rarely wrong for anyone to pay a compliment to another and while there is no stated requirement to salute a member of Her Majesty’s Government, it is customary to do so in appropriate circumstances.
Even if it;s an ‘Agincourt’ one.
Personally I’d salute a Minister/Secretary of State when acting in that capacity but not a backbench MP/Peer with the difference being that an MP is not a crown appointment, simply a member of the legislature whereas the Minister is exercising HMs powers of governance.
I may be wrong and probably am.
Well, it would appear to follow Giminion’s quoted reg, so you’re probably right.
Yeah. I somehow missed the second part of that quote.
Huh. Wife-saluting was still around in some form in 2017?
AP818:
Saluting is a recognition of the Sovereign’s Commission, being indirectly a salute to
the Crown through the individual holding the Queen’s authority. The Sovereign is paid the
highest compliment, the Royal Salute. Because of their link with the Sovereign, the
following are also paid some form of compliment:
a. Members of the Royal Family.
b. Governors and Ministers to whom the Sovereign delegates authority.
c. Formed bodies of troops on the Sovereign’s business.
d. All Colours and Standards of the Royal Air Force and their equivalent in the
Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Army.
e. All Officers, as holders of the Sovereign’s commission.
Also officers of a more senior rank in a foreign armed forces.
Indeed, that’s mentioned further down
Apparently so… “In some establishments” so I guess at specific high level events and locations that would be briefed to those attending…
The take-away though, is that you can’t be wrong to salute an individual you believe is worthy of a salute.
I’d left this part out, but as a cadet I was always told “better to salute and be told not to, and you can salute anyone you think is worthy of that level of respect”. I wouldn’t recommend it per se, but I got a few NCOs during my time as a cadet using that line (although I would love it if someone has the Queens’ Regs reference…). I like a bit of mischief every now and then.
I always thought the regulation was ‘salute an officer accompanied by a lady’ not salute the lady on her own?
(meaning, I took it, even if the officer were junior to oneself).
Do people still salute going into another officer’s office? In practice I rarely find I have a hat on…
in short my answer is “yes”
the longer version is “yes, as i would salute a Mayor”
it is out of politeness rather than acknowledgement of anything else they have or type of appointment.
In the case of some MPs (8%) they have served in the UK Armed forces (Wikipedia link to the list)
of those
32 (63%) served in the Army
6 (12%) serve(d) in the TA/Army Reserves
1 served in the Navy, while 2 serve(d) in the Navy Reserves
3 (6%) in the RAF
and 2 are listed as SAS
of the 51 listed, 63% are shown as holding officer ranks.
admittedly this is a small number (8%) in the grand scheme of likely chance your local MP is a Armed Forces veteran - however there are more than I expected and found in the list my own MP who I didnt realise is a former Army Officer
Some ladies in the past thought they wore their husbands rank and could be quite obnoxious about it.
Not just in the past. I had the pleasure of meeting a RAFAC Wing Commander’s wife last term when she tagged along to a local contingent conference. She thought she could order us all round due to her “rank”, to the extent of refusing to go get her own sandwich and coffee from the trolly.
To be fair to her husband though her did tell her to wind it in when he saw what she was doing.
Custom, not regulation.
It maybe custom and not regulation but if Sir Mike Jackson and the CDS Australia can render a salute to a VC holder, it should be good enough for anybody.
I would always salute a holder of the VC, irrespective of his rank.
At this moment in time though, would I pay respects to an MP? 
A 21 round salute?