Labour insists 'business as usual' after Jeremy Corbyn gets sworn into Queen's Privy Council

Republican firebrand Jeremy Corbyn has finally been sworn into the Queen's elite body of advisers less than two months after been elected as the leader of Her Majesty's official opposition. The left-winger reportedly went along with the usual protocol of joining the Privy Council, but apparently did not kneel before the monarch, and will now crucially have access to security briefings.

A spokesman for the veteran parliamentarian shot down any speculation about celebrations following the ceremony and told IBTimes UK it would be "business as usual" for the now "Right Honourable" Labour leader. The royal event comes after Corbyn faced criticism for missing the first get together of the ancient body of advisers after his rise to power.

Tory MPs such as Alan Duncan, who is also a member of the Privy Council, took the opportunity to blast the 66-year-old. But it later emerged that Corbyn had taken some time off to go on holiday in Scotland in the wake of the Labour leadership election.

Members of the Privy Council do not have to be sworn into the prestigious organisation straight away and it took David Cameron three months to partake in the ceremony in 2006 after winning the Conservative leadership. Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister and ex-Liberal Democrat leader, took two months to official join the Privy Council in 2008.

Update (12 November)

The article was amended to reflect the fact that Corbyn did not kneel before the Queen.