Jeremy Corbyn admits he might NOT be able to let homeless live at Chequers

Jeremy Corbyn today admitted he might not be able to make good on his plan to let homeless people live in the PM’s Chequers country residence. 

The Labour leader floated the idea in an ITV interview yesterday, after shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he would do the same at the 11 Downing Street flat. 

But Mr Corbyn conceded this morning that he had no clue who owns the grand Buckinghamshire property and was trying to find out.

Chequers was bequeathed to the country by Lord and Lady Lee as a place for PMs to relax even if they are not rich enough to own their own estate. 

The terms of the trust were enshrined in law in 1917. The taxpayer contributes around £800,000 a year to its upkeep.

The legislation permits ‘ the Prime Minister for the time being to occupy use and enjoy the same as a furnished country residence for such periods continuous or discontinuous as he may in his absolute discretion think fit’.

But it suggests that should Mr Corbyn and ministers refuse to use the residence, US ambassador Woody Johnson would have the right to use the property. 

During his interview with ITV’s Julie Etchingham, Mr Corbyn was asked whether he would echo Mr McDonnell by ‘allowing a homeless family to live there’.

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

Mr Corbyn replied: ‘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.’

However, during a campaign visit in Peterborough today, Mr Corbyn was pressed on his plan and admitted: ‘I’m not even sure who owns Chequers actually because I’m trying to work that out. 

‘I’ve never been there. I don’t know what the place is like.. 

‘I’m campaigning to win the election to become prime minister, that’s quite enough and I just want to do the job of prime minister, I’m not really very interested in country houses.’