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Corbyn team attacks 'tax exile' Branson in 'traingate' row Jeremy Corbyn angered by train seat row questions
(about 1 hour later)
Jeremy Corbyn's campaign team have hit back at Sir Richard Branson after the Virgin founder challenged the Labour leader's account of a rail journey. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has reacted angrily to questions about his spat with Sir Richard Branson over a Virgin Train journey.
Campaign director Sam Tarry branded Sir Richard a "tax exile" who was "laughing all the way to the bank" because Virgin Trains gets subsidies. He said he hoped the businessman was "well aware" of his plans to nationalise rail operators.
Mr Corbyn was filmed sitting on the floor of a "ram-packed" Virgin service from London to Newcastle. Sir Richard has challenged the Labour leader's claim in a video that he could not find a seat on a "packed" train from London to Newcastle.
But the rail operator insists there were seats available on the train. Mr Corbyn tried to close down questions about it at a tetchy press conference.
In a film shown on The Guardian, Mr Corbyn said he was experiencing a problem "many passengers face every day" on the London to Newcastle train. He told reporters he was there to talk about his NHS policies, but he eventually relented, saying: "I am very pleased that Richard Branson has been able to break off from his holiday to take this issue seriously and with the importance it obviously deserves.
Mr Corbyn said the episode made the case for the railways to be renationalised, one of his key policy pledges. "I hope he is very well aware of our policy, which is that train operating companies should become part of the public realm, not the private sector."
He added that he was looking forward to meeting Virgin Trains to discuss regulatory issues that needed to be addressed "even before we take them back into public ownership".
In a film shown on The Guardian last week, Mr Corbyn said while sat on the floor between carriages that he was experiencing a problem "many passengers face every day" on the London to Newcastle train.
But Virgin released CCTV footage on Tuesday, showing Mr Corbyn and his team walking past available seating before starting filming.
At his press conference, Mr Corbyn said: "Yes, I did walk through the train. Yes, I did look for two empty seats together so I could sit down with my wife, to talk to her. That wasn't possible so I went to the end of the train."
He said the train manager, "who was a very nice gentleman", had offered him an upgrade to First Class, which he had declined.
"He then, very kindly, did find some seats and, after 42 minutes, I went back through the train to the seats that had been allocated."
'Astonishing''Astonishing'
But Virgin released CCTV footage, which they said showed Mr Corbyn and his team walking past available seating before starting filming. Sir Richard Branson tweeted a link to the CCTV images on Tuesday, saying Mr Corbyn had "walked past empty unreserved seats then filmed claim train was 'ram-packed'".
The company says the crew helped him to a carriage where seats were available and he sat for the rest of his journey. Mr Corbyn's leadership campaign manager Sam Tarry earlier told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he believed Sir Richard had intervened in order to protect his company.
Sir Richard Branson tweeted a link to the CCTV images, saying Mr Corbyn had "walked past empty unreserved seats then filmed claim train was 'ram-packed'".
But Mr Tarry told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he believed Sir Richard had intervened in order to protect his company.
He said: "The bigger story here... it is quite astonishing that a tax exile of more than 10 years decides to lay into and make a political intervention which is essentially what this is on social media in a very public way."He said: "The bigger story here... it is quite astonishing that a tax exile of more than 10 years decides to lay into and make a political intervention which is essentially what this is on social media in a very public way."
He continued: "I think it's quite clear - Richard Branson is literally laughing all the way to the bank at the British taxpayer's expense.He continued: "I think it's quite clear - Richard Branson is literally laughing all the way to the bank at the British taxpayer's expense.
"Let's be clear about this and exactly what's going on here. No train operating company in this country would be able to actually turn a profit without the vast subsidies from British taxpayers.""Let's be clear about this and exactly what's going on here. No train operating company in this country would be able to actually turn a profit without the vast subsidies from British taxpayers."
Labour MP Owen Smith, who is challenging Mr Corbyn in a leadership contest, said he accepted Virgin's account of the journey.Labour MP Owen Smith, who is challenging Mr Corbyn in a leadership contest, said he accepted Virgin's account of the journey.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What is clear from the footage I've seen is that he had a seat on the train and there were seats on the train and he chose to sit on the floor for the purposes of the video.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What is clear from the footage I've seen is that he had a seat on the train and there were seats on the train and he chose to sit on the floor for the purposes of the video.
"But I do think he was trying to make a legitimate point. Trains are overcrowded and I think we should be nationalising them in order to make sure they serve the British people rather better.""But I do think he was trying to make a legitimate point. Trains are overcrowded and I think we should be nationalising them in order to make sure they serve the British people rather better."
Are you on the same service? If you're travelling on the 11 o'clock train from London Kings Cross to Newcastle on Wednesday, please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience.Are you on the same service? If you're travelling on the 11 o'clock train from London Kings Cross to Newcastle on Wednesday, please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience.
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