One of the answers to the question How does anyone know for sure who the Prime Minister is? contained a link to the list of approved orders and business transacted in the July 6, 2024 session of the Privy Council. The list is relevant to answer that question because Keir Starmer "did, by His Majesty's command, make solemn affirmation as First Lord of the Treasury" according to one of the transaction records.
I looked more into the document, and I realized that different predicates are used to describe the events in that meeting:
Becoming a Council Member
- Lucy Powell, Liz Kendall, and Lisa Nandy "made affirmation as Members"
- Shabana Mahmood "was sworn as a Member"
Taking up an office
- Lucy Powell "was declared" Lord President of the Couctil
- Keir Starmer "made affirmation" as First Lord of the Treasury
- Angela Raynera, Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, John Healey, Shabana Mahmood, Elizabeth Kendall, and Lisa Nandy "[were] sworn" one of the Secretaries of State
- Shabana Mahood "was sworn" Lord High Chancellor
- Smith of Basildon "was sworn" Lord Privy Seal
I assume that in a highly ritualized environment such as the Privy Council, the predicates are selected very deliberately, and that any difference in wording must correspond to a difference in procedure or status (possibly with the exception of the use of "was sworn of" on p. 8, which must be a typo, right?).
So, here are my questions:
- Why was "make affirmation" in active voice used for Powell, Kendall and Nandy, but "be sworn" in passive voice for Mahmood?
- Why was "be sworn" used for The Secretaries of State, the Lord High Chancellor, and the Lord Privy Seal, but "be declared" for Lord President of the Council?
- Why was "make affirmation" used only for Starmer as First Lord of the Treasury, but for none of the other offices?