Yahoo News Labour politician defends comments made in secret recording of him slating party's election chances
A senior Labour politician has insisted a secret recording of him rubbishing his party’s election chances was only banter with a friend.
Jon Ashworth, the shadow secretary for health and social care, has claimed his remarks in the recording, made by a Tory activist he previously considered a friend, do not represent his real thoughts on the election campaign.
The recording was leaked to Guido Fawkes and he later appeared on the Victoria Derbyshire show on Tuesday morning, where he discussed the leak during an excruciating video.
‘I was having a bit of banter with a Tory friend – he’s only gone and leaked it all’ @JonAshworth
Watch him respond to a clip released to the Guido Fawkes website in which he appears to say Labour cannot win the election and its situation is ‘dire’. https://t.co/bPqZM8YAAb pic.twitter.com/P5NN5upWBa— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) December 10, 2019
In extracts from the recording written by Guido Fawkes, he says the election picture in parts of the country is “dire for Labour” because of Jeremy Corbyn and Brexit.
He also claims the civil service would move to “safeguard security” if Mr Corbyn becomes Prime Minister following Thursday’s election.
Mr Ashworth adds that “middle-class graduates” have helped Labour but Brexit has made the electoral map “topsy-turvy” and he “can’t see” Mr Corbyn becoming PM.
He also states that Labour MPs are considering how to remove Mr Corbyn from leadership if the Tories win the election.
Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, Mr Ashworth said he was “having a bit of banter with a Tory friend of mine – at least I thought he was a friend... because he was saying ‘the Tories are going to lose’ and I was saying ‘no, you’re going to be fine’.
“Joshing as old friends do, he’s only gone and leaked it all to a website, and he has selectively leaked it, and I thought he was a friend... obviously not.”
When he is pushed on whether he meant it, Mr Ashworth insisted he was winding his friend up, and claimed that his friend had been saying Mr Corbyn would win the election.
He also said he did not believe the Labour leader was a threat to national security and would not be going for a drink with the Tory activist, who he holidayed with in the US 15 years ago.
