John McDonnell and Damian Green trade insults in telly row despite ‘truce’ in memory of Jo Cox
TORY veteran Damian Green branded Labour’s John McDonnell a Marxist with no economic sense yesterday in a furious bust-up on live TV.
The pair ignored calls for a truce in Election campaigning in memory of the late Jo Cox to trade insults in an extraordinary row on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
Mr Green stormed “you don’t understand capitalism” as Mr McDonnell tried to claim Labour’s policy of widespread renationalisation wouldn’t cost a penny – because of the assets being taken into ownership.
The Labour big hitter struck back “well you certainly do, don’t you. You’re one of those people who made a fortune out of it.”
Experts said the row summed up the ideological choice on June 8.
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Mr Green worked for both Mid Kent Water and South West Water before the 2010 Election.
Just moments earlier on the show, Jo Cox’s late husband Brendan said the political parties’ decision to hold an hour’s truce at certain times during Sunday sent a “powerful message”.
He said it proved that there was “more that unites us than divides us” – the phrase the late Labour MP coined in her maiden Commons speech.
Rival candidates in the Batley and Spen constituency Ms Cox represented united to raise money for a special care baby unit.
Mr Cox said British politics needed “a better balance,” adding: “We spend way too much time fixated on the areas we disagree with each other and need to create more moments where we come together as a country.”
The election truce came ahead of the first anniversary of Mrs Cox’s death next month – which will be marked with a national “Great Get Together” from June 16-18 as thousands of people hosting street parties and picnics across the country.
Yesterday Mrs Cox’s sister Kim Leadbeater revealed how she often feels guilty when spending time with her niece and nephew.
She said there are times she finds it “really difficult” to spend time with six-year-old Cuillin and Lejla, four.
Ms Leadbeater told The Sun on Sunday’s Fabulous Magazine: “Sometimes I will be just reading them a book and I’ll feel suddenly guilty, thinking to myself that Jo should be doing this with them, not me.
“But I know that she would want me to be there for all of those milestones, so I am and always will be. Jo was very clear that aunties should spoil the kids, so I do that all the time.”