Jeremy Corbyn ally Andy McDonald accuses the BBC of ‘consciously’ trying to help the Tories win the election as Labour goes into meltdown after poll rout

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald was condemned by colleagues after making the extraordinary claim during an interview

A close ally of Jeremy Corbyn today accused the BBC of ‘consciously’ trying to get the Tories elected.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald was condemned by colleagues after making the extraordinary claim during an interview as the party goes into meltdown after its election rout.

Mr McDonald initially paid lip service to the idea that the Labour leadership was to blame for the drubbing – its worst performance since the 1930s.

But when asked by presenter Justin Webb whether Jeremy Corbyn’s unpopularity had been a factor, Mr McDonald said: ‘Don’t get me started on the media, Justin. I’m very worried about our public service broadcaster.’ 

Webb said: ‘Are you saying that the BBC was in part responsible for Mr Corbyn’s loss?’ 

Mr McDonald replied: ‘I am saying that they played a part. I’m really worried about the drift. You’ve seen the catalogue of criticisms that we’re making. 

‘We’ve accepted that the print media are rained against us, but my goodness me. I’m going to look at us. ‘We’re the important part here. 

‘We got this wrong, but if the BBC are going to hold themselves out as somehow having conducted themselves in an impartial manner, I think they’ve really got to have a look in the mirror. 

‘We’ve got a lot to say about this.’ 

Pressed on whether the BBC ‘consciously’ played a part, Mr McDonald replied: ‘Consciously, yes.’ 

He added: ‘When you have a BBC presenter standing in front of a television camera saying ‘and Boris Johnson is on his way to a richly-deserved victory’.’

 Webb said: ‘Oh, it’s a slip of the tongue. That’s absolute madness, isn’t it?’ 

Mr McDonald said: ‘How many slips of the tongue are we going to make until you accept it? 

‘I think it’s a distraction, quite frankly. Because I’m accepting that we got this wrong … you asked me about Jeremy Corbyn,’  

Mr McDonald’s Labour colleague Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, tweeted: ‘The media can be frustrating, and some of the tabloids at times just embarrassing, but blaming them for last Thursday is an abdication of responsibility.’ 

Emily Thornberry (pictured left with Jeremy Corbyn at the Islington count on Friday morning) issued an angry denial after being accused of swiping that northern Brexit voters are ‘stupid’

Caroline Flint – who was ousted from her Don Valley seat in the rout – warned that the next leader cannot be ‘Corbyn without a beard’

Mrs Thornberry angrily denied the allegation from Ms Flint as a ‘total and utter lie’

The attack came as the party’s leadership battle descended into acrimony with Mr Corbyn facing renewed criticism Emily Thornberry accused of calling voters ‘stupid’. 

The shadow foreign secretary, who is believed to be eyeing a bid to succeed Mr Corbyn, angrily denied the ‘total and utter lie’ yesterday and was understood to be consulting lawyers. 

Caroline Flint, who lost her seat in the former stronghold of Don Valley during the catastrophic election for Labour, claimed Ms Thornberry had told a colleague: ‘I’m glad my constituents aren’t as stupid as yours.’ 

The row came as shadow chancellor John McDonnell tried to take the flak for the defeat, saying ‘I own this disaster’, and as Mr Corbyn also apologised for Labour’s worst result since 1935. 

The race to succeed the leader is in full swing, with potential candidates testing the waters while senior figures in the current leadership gave their backing to shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey. 

Labour’s general secretary, Jennie Formby, reportedly wrote to the party’s ruling National Executive Committee recommending the contest starts on January 7, with the view of having a new leader by the end of March. 

Mr Corbyn had written in an open letter that ‘I take my responsibility’ for the loss and apologised, but had come under fire for an unrepentant tone on the night of the defeat. 

‘I will make no bones about it. The result was a body blow for everyone who so desperately needs real change in our country,’ he wrote in the Sunday Mirror. 

Mr Corbyn said he will stand down in the early part of next year after overseeing a ‘process of reflection’ within the party.

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