WATCH: John McDonnell tears into 'establishment' ex-MI6 boss who warned of Jeremy Corbyn security risk
2 min read
John McDonnell today took a furious blast at a former top spy who raised fears that a Jeremy Corbyn-led government could pose a national security risk to Britain.
The Shadow Chancellor said ex-MI6 boss Sir Richard Dearlove was a “reactionary member of the establishment” and mounted an attack on his role in the 2003 Iraq War.
Sir Richard had said he was “troubled” by some of the past associations of the Labour leader - who has faced scrutiny over historic support for IRA figures as well as a description of proscribed groups Hamas and Hezbollah as "friends".
He told Sky News: “He's enthusiastically associated himself with groups and interests which I would not say were the friends of the British nation.”
And he added: “Someone coming from my background is troubled by Jeremy Corbyn's past associations. Some of which I find surprising, and worrying.
“He may have abandoned them now, but I don't think you can entirely dump your past.”
But speaking on the same show, Mr McDonnell said he was “not surprised” by the comments, and fumed: “This is a reactionary member of the establishment - so I don’t think he’d welcome a Labour government of any sort to be frank.”
He added: “I think she should spend his retirement in quiet contemplation of the role that he played with regard to the Iraq War where over half a million people at least were killed.
“He was strongly criticised as the head of an organisation whose intelligence took us into that war so I think he should have a bit of humility about the judgements he makes about individuals and others in the future.”
Sir Richard - who served as head of MI6 between 1999 and 2004 - was criticised in the Chilcot report on the Iraq war over intelligence about weapons of mass destruction that turned out to be wrong.
Elsewhere in his interview, Sir Richard savaged claims by a top aide to Mr Corbyn that a “deep state” was working to stop the Labour leader becoming Prime Minister.
Last month it was reported that Mr Corbyn had been summoned for a “facts of life” briefing on terror threats by MI5 chief Andrew Parker.
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