WATCH: Jeremy Corbyn vows to crack down on 'billionaire media barons' following Czech spy row
3 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to crack down on the "billionaire tax exiles" who own some of Britain's biggest newspapers after he was accused of passing secrets to a Czech spy at the height of the Cold War.
In a video posted online, the Labour leader said the reports showed "just how worried the media bosses are by the prospect of a Labour government".
Mr Corbyn said The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and Daily Express "have all gone a little bit James Bond" in their coverage of claims by former Czech 'diplomat' Jan Sarkocy.
The Sun - the UK's biggest-selling paper - has published a series of reports based on 30-year-old documents showing the Labour leader met with Mr Sarkocy on several occasions.
Papers from the former Czech state police, known as the Statni Bezpecnost, showed Mr Corbyn - who was referred to as Agent COB - was first approached in 1986 by left-wing activists and agreed to further meetings.
In interviews, Mr Sarkocy claimed Mr Corbyn was one of several Labour MPs who passed on information to the former communist country - allegations dismissed as a "ridiculous smear" by party bosses.
In his video, Mr Corbyn said: "In the last few days, The Sun, The Mail, The Telegraph and The Express have all gone a little bit James Bond.
“They've found a former Czechoslovakian spy whose claims are increasingly wild and entirely false.
“He seems to believe I kept him informed about what Margaret Thatcher had for breakfast and says he was responsible for either Live Aid or the Mandela Concert - or maybe both.
“It’s easy to laugh, but something more serious is happening. Publishing these ridiculous smears that have been refuted by Czech officials shows just how worried the media bosses are by the prospect of a Labour government.
"They’re right to be. Labour will stand up to the powerful and corrupt - and take the side of the many, not the few.
"A free press is essential for democracy and we don’t want to close it down, we want to open it up. At the moment, much of our press isn’t very free at all. In fact it’s controlled by billionaire tax exiles, who are determined to dodge paying their fair share for our vital public services.
"The general election showed the media barons are losing their influence and social media means their bad old habits are becoming less and less relevant.
"But instead of learning these lessons they're continuing to resort to lies and smears. Their readers - you, all of us - deserve so much better.
"Well, we’ve got news for them: change is coming."
Labour sources said if they win the next election, the party will crack down on tax dodging, hike taxes on the rich, and set up the second part of the Leveson inquiry into media behaviour.
The party would also launch a review of media ownership in an attempt to increase "plurality" in the industry.
Watch the full video here:
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