Angela Rayner repeatedly insists Corbyn could have watched Queen’s speech on catch up

The row over whether or not Jeremy Corbyn watches the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day rumbled on today after Angela Rayner repeatedly insisted he could have ‘watched it on catch up’.

The shadow education secretary defended Mr Corbyn by bizarrely repeating his suggestion that he watched the annual message in ‘the morning’, despite it first airing at 3pm.

In an attempt to to undo some of the damage caused by the Labour leader, Ms Rayner appeared on Good Morning Britain today and hit back at claims that Mr Corbyn was being ‘dishonest’ by appearing to pretend he watches the speech.

She claimed: ‘He might watch it on catch up, some of us do, some of us have dinner at different times. I don’t necessarily think that means that he has lied.’ 

Ms Rayner then vehemently insisted the Labour leader had actually said he catches up with the speech on Boxing Day morning, causing host Susanna Reid to challenge her.

She said: ‘Sorry to interrupt Ms Rayner, but Jeremy Corbyn did not say he watched the Queen’s speech on catch up the following morning, he said he watched the Queen’s message in the morning on Christmas Day.’

A defiant Ms Rayner replied: ‘He didn’t say that, he did not say he watched it in the morning on Christmas Day, he said he watched it in the morning. That’s semantics.’

Mr Corbyn was left red-faced yesterday after he seemingly claimed the afternoon broadcast was a repeat of a Christmas Day morning speech 

During yesterday’s cringe-worthy exchange with ITV’s Julie Etchingham, the presenter asks if he sits down with his family at Christmas to watch the annual 3pm address.

He firstly claims: ‘It’s on the morning, usually we have it on some of the time.’ 

But Etchingham challenges him, pointing out the speech first airs in the afternoon, causing him to incorrectly suggest that the 3pm airing is a repeat.

Etchingham asks ‘So you don’t sit down as a family to watch the Queen’s speech?’ forcing the Labour leader to protests that his family ‘doesn’t watch television very much on the day’.

He then claims that he likes ‘to do a bit of exercise on Christmas morning’, explicitly referring to Christmas Day, leading to Etchingham to once again point out that the speech first airs in the afternoon. 

The interviewer finally asks ‘You don’t watch it do you, Mr Corbyn?’ causing him to suggest there is ‘lots to do’ on the day, including a visit to a local homeless centre. 

Mr Rayner attempted to undo some of the damage during an appearance on Good Morning Britain today, but wrongly suggested that Mr Corbyn had been referring to Boxing Day morning.

She told the show: ‘Most people on Christmas Day, depending on what happens, are normally very busy with their family, they do watch the Queen’s speech, they might watch it exactly at 3pm, they might watch it a bit later. 

The shadow education secretary defended Mr Corbyn by bizarrely repeating his suggestion that he watched the annual message, which airs at 3pm, in 'the morning'

The shadow education secretary defended Mr Corbyn by bizarrely repeating his suggestion that he watched the annual message, which airs at 3pm, in ‘the morning’

Corbyn firstly claimed the speech is 'on the morning, usually we have it on,' causing interviewee Julie Etchingham (pictured) to correct him so say it always airs in the afternoon

Corbyn firstly claimed the speech is ‘on the morning, usually we have it on,’ causing interviewee Julie Etchingham (pictured) to correct him so say it always airs in the afternoon

‘Now Jeremy Corbyn said he watches the Queen’s speech in the morning, that doesn’t mean to say he watches it on Christmas Day morning, he said he watched it in the morning.

‘He also said he visits a homeless shelter, which he does and he does do that and he said he spends time with his family.’

She later said: ‘I can’t tell you what Jeremy does on Christmas morning, Jeremy can tell you that.’ 

During a wide-ranging interview, set to air in full tonight, Mr Corbyn also claims that if elected he would give up Chequers, the country house of the Prime Minister.

He points to the fact that the UK is home to 150 billionaires, adding: ‘We’ve still got people sleeping on the streets.’

Mr Corbyn’s position echoing the sentiments of shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said he would let a homeless family move into No11 Downing Street.

During the interview, he also apologises to those who have suffered as a result of his party’s delays in dealing with allegations of anti-Semitism. 

The Leader Interviews: Jeremy Corbyn – Tonight airs at 7.30pm tonight.

Below is a transcript of some of the issues covered by the ITV leader’s interview with Jeremy Corbyn, set to air tonight at 7.30pm.

His plans for Christmas Day

Julie Etchingham: ‘Do you sit down to watch the Queen’s speech? Mr Corbyn.’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘It’s on the morning, usually we have it on some of the time.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘It’s not on in the morning. It’s at three o’clock in the afternoon. 

Jeremy Corbyn: It’s when its repeated… in the afternoon.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘So you don’t sit down as a family to watch the Queen’s speech.’  

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘We don’t watch television very much on Christmas Day. Maybe a film in the evening. Erm I’d like to do a bit of exercise on Christmas morning.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘You do some exercise on Christmas morning. I don’t think the Queen’s speech is in the morning.

‘It’s three o’clock in the afternoon. That’s when everybody watches it.’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘Well. Our Christmas is sometimes…’

Julie Etchingham: ‘You don’t watch it do you, Mr Corbyn.’ 

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘There is lots .. lots to do .. I enjoy the presence of my family and friends around Christmas. Obviously, like everybody else does.

‘And, I also visit the homeless shelter, either on Christmas Day, or the day before, to talk to, and listen to people’s lives, about how they could be made better with a government that cared for them.’

On giving up Chequers

Julie Etchingham: ‘John McDonnell said he wouldn’t move into number eleven. He’d allow a homeless family to live there.

‘Would you consider giving up Chequers if you were Prime Minister?’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘I would indeed. It can’t be right.

‘We’re a country with 150 billionaires, and we’ve still got people sleeping on the streets.’

On anti-Semitism 

Julie Etchingham: ‘Will you apologise now, for the issue of anti-Semitism?’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘Anti-Semitism is a vile evil, in our society. I am not a racist, in any form. I’ve spent my life opposing racism.

‘And, I think the treatment of Jewish people that suffer from anti-Semitism is appalling.

‘And where there’s been delays, by my party, in instituting a process, of course, I apologise to those that suffered, as a result of it.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘You do accept the state of Israel has a right to exist.’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘Yes. Of course.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘Yes, yes, thank you…’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘But we would recognise alongside that, a Palestinian state.’

On life at home 

Julie Etchingham: ‘And your wife, who we occasionally see, she said you’re not very good at housework.’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘I am good at putting the garbage out, I am good at putting the recycling out at… Good at that.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘Ha ha you’re good at putting the recycling out… Even that has got the message firmly nailed down.’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘I’m also the head manager of the whole composting arrangements.’

On romance 

Julie Etchingham: ‘What’s the most romantic thing you ever did?’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘Wow. That’s a hard one. Nobody ever thinks of me as romantic.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘So there is no romance that Jeremy Corbyn could offer to…What is the most romantic sort of wild and reckless thing you’ve ever done?’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘You can’t ask that question on television.’

Julie Etchingham: ‘Yes I can.’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘You can’t ask that… It’s…’

Julie Etchingham: ‘I asked Theresa May what the naughtiest thing she ever did… I didn’t ask you that.’

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘When you’re with somebody, you have a great time together, and we’ve had some wonderful holidays together, and we enjoy that.’