Senior Labour Party official sorry for praising IRA ‘bombs and bullets’

Mr Corbyn also indicated he would not attempt to enforce his personal opposition to the Trident nuclear deterrent or welfare cap. “I’ve long argued to abolish it and put a better alternative in its place, but it was rather refreshing today – good”.

“The national anthem isn’t just for those who are monarchists, it’s for everyone and it represents the whole country and that’s why people sing it”.

The appointment of his loyal friend and campaign manager was an indication that Mr Corbyn will go ahead with a radical, socialist agenda as leader and has not been a popular choice with Labour MPs and even members of the shadow cabinet.

It followed a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party in a Commons committee room, in which the new Labour leader took questions from his MPs.

“We will make the case that membership of the European Union helps Britain to create jobs, secure growth, encourage investment and tackle the issues that cross borders – like climate change, terrorism, tax havens and the current refugee crisis”.

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Left-winger Mr Corbyn, who was formally elected to succeed Ed Miliband as Labour Party leader on Saturday, reshuffled his team following an exodus of senior shadow ministers, including Yvette Cooper, Chuka Umunna, Liz Kendall and Tristram Hunt.

She told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “If only to avoid all the fuss I think it would have been advisable to do so”.

“It certainly was offensive at the time and still is offensive now”, Mr Parry said. “To use the words he did so explicitly back then, they don’t sound like chance remarks in the hope that he was assisting the peace process”, he said.

Speaking on the victory of the 66-year-old, the MP said: “This result is a sign that politics is changing and that people want to do things differently”.

The former Chancellor delivered a damning assessment on Mr Corbyn’s first week in office, saying: “I just do not know where he is going, what he stands for”.

The move was branded as “bizarre” by the SNP, which claimed it was proof Mr Corbyn was “scrambling around” to find people to fill the frontbench roles.

Asked if he believed John McDonnell could become chancellor in government, he said: “It seems to me to be hard but I’m willing to be surprised, I’m sure all clouds have a silver lining but I’m willing to be surprised”.