Jeremy Corbyn denies 'ridiculous smear' that he briefed communist spy – politics live

Follow rolling coverage of the day’s political developments 2.00pm GMT The defence secretary, Gavin Williamson has become the first member of the cabinet to respond to the Sun’s front page alleging that Jeremy Corbyn briefed a communist spy, the Evening Standard reports. Williamson, at a Nato meeting in Brussels, is quoted as saying it is proof that the Labour leader cannot be trusted:Jeremy Corbyn has never had Britain’s interests at heart. Time and time again he has sided with those who want to destroy everything that is great about this country, whether it is sympathising with terrorists, backing rogue regimes, or cosying up to those who want to inflict pain and misery on the British people.That he met foreign spies is a betrayal of this country. He cannot be trusted.Gavin Williamson should focus on his job and not give credence to entirely false and ridiculous smears, which as we know from Darren Osborne [jailed for life for the attack on Muslims in Finsbury Park], can have a potentially deadly effect … Jeremy has consistently made the correct calls in the interests of security and peace, including on the Libyan intervention and his opposition to the disastrous Iraq war that has caused catastrophe in the region and made us less safe at home. 1.23pm GMT The Ulster Newsletter is one of the oldest newspapers in the world and for centuries has been the daily voice of unionism in Ireland. Back in 1998 it took a leap of faith in backing David Trimble, the then Ulster Unionist leader, in support of the Good Friday agreement. Its editor at the time Geoff Martin came under sustained criticism from agreement-sceptic unionists for backing the Belfast Agreement and Trimble; there were even calls for a boycott of the paper from some DUP quarters.So it is a measure of the groundswell unionist opposition to Sinn Fein’s core demand for an Irish Language Act in Northern Ireland (the issue on which the talks foundered) that the Newsletter published a front page editorial this morning supporting Arlene Foster’s decision to pull the plug on the current negotiations. Continue reading…
Via: Jeremy Corbyn denies 'ridiculous smear' that he briefed communist spy – politics live