Jeremy Corbyn has been caught out claiming he watches the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day in the morning – when in fact the annual address is always broadcast in the afternoon.
The Labour leader has a cringe-worthy exchange with ITV’s Julie Etchingham in an interview set to air tomorrow night, when the presenter asks if he sits down with his family 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 incorrect 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’, 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.
Corbyn firstly claims 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
During the wide-ranging interview, he also apologises to those who have suffered as a result of his party’s delays in dealing with allegations of anti-Semitism.
Mr Corbyn also claims he would give up Chequers if elected, echoing the sentiments of shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said he would let a homeless family move into No11 Downing Street.
The Leader Interviews: Jeremy Corbyn – Tonight airs at 7.30pm on Thursday.
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.’
Jeremy Corbyn appears to accidentally reveal that he does not watch the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day in an ITV interview set to air tomorrow night