Jeremy Corbyn ‘cannot be trusted’ says Defence Secretary after Sun reveals he met Communist spy in Parliament at the height of the Cold War
Gavin Williamson accused the Labour leader of a ‘betrayal of this country’ after secret files obtained by this newspaper showed he was vetted by Czech agents in 1986
JEREMY Corbyn “cannot be trusted” says the Defence Secretary after The Sun revealed he met a Communist spy in the House of Commons at the height of the Cold War.
Gavin Williamson accused the Labour leader of a “betrayal of this country” after secret files obtained by this newspaper showed he was vetted by Czech agents in 1986.
He met one at least three times – warning him of a clampdown by British intelligence – and in return was given the simple code-word: COB
According to secret files, he passed on material about the arrest of an East German and was allegedly put on a list of Czechoslovakian state security team’s agents and sources.
But a spokesman for Mr Corbyn said although he met a diplomat in the 1980s he never knowingly talked to a spy.
But responding to The Sun’s story today Mr Williamson said: “Jeremy Corbyn has never had Britain’s interests at heart.”
The Cabinet minister told the : “Time and time again he has sided with those who want to destroy everything that is great about this country.
“Whether it is sympathising with terrorists, backing rogue regimes - or cosying up to those who want to inflict pain and misery on the British people.
“That he met foreign spies is a betrayal of this country. He cannot be trusted.”
Responding to Mr Williamson’s comments, a spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: “Gavin Williamson should focus on his job and not give credence to entirely false and ridiculous smears, which as we know from Darren Osborne, can have a potentially deadly effect.”
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This comments was in reference to the Finsbury Park terrorist, who was jailed for life after driving a van into worshippers outside a mosque in North London last year.
At his trial told a jury he had intended to kill Mr Corbyn, saying: “Oh yeah, it would be one less terrorist [on] our streets.”
The Labour spokesman went on: “Jeremy has consistently made the correct calls in the interests of security and peace, including on the Libyan intervention and his opposition to the disastrous Iraq war that has caused catastrophe in the region and made us less safe at home.”