Jeremy Corbyn admits lying over train seat debacle after Sir Richard Branson releases CCTV of him through empty carriage
The row erupted after he was filmed in a corridor on Virgin’s London to Newcastle train complaining it was “completely ram-packed”
JEREMY Corbyn admitted yesterday that he had lied in the train seats row.
The Labour leader, 67, had sparked a storm by claiming he had to sit in a corridor.
But today he admitted there were seats available. Mr Corbyn said he wanted to sit with his wife Laura Alvarez but could not find two places together.
The row erupted after he was filmed sitting in a corridor on Virgin’s 11am London to Newcastle train complaining it was “completely ram-packed”.
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson then released CCTV images of him walking past empty seats.
And yesterday Jezza, 67, admitted: “Yes, I did walk through the train, yes, I did look for two empty seats together so I could sit down with my wife to talk to her, that wasn’t possible.”
The angry leftie faced a barrage of questioning about the train after a speech about his NHS plans in North London.
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He said: “Can we move on please, can we have an NHS question?”
One journalist said: “We live in a free country. I am entitled to ask you a question I want to ask you.”
Mr Corbyn said: “I am very well aware we live in a free country. I really hoped you would be able to find a question on the NHS, but if you can’t then we’ll take another one.”
He finally admitted what happened on the train. He said the train manager found him some seats which he took 42 minutes into the journey, which contradicted earlier claims he spent three hours on the floor.
He hit out at Sir Richard, suggesting a future Labour government could nationalise railways.
He said: “I hope Richard Branson is aware of our policy, which is for train-operating companies to become part of the public realm.”
Last night Tory MP James Cleverly said: “So much for Mr Corbyn’s ‘honest politics’.
“We now see he’s not the principled man he pretends to be.”