Buzzfeed has published a recording of an interview between its UK political editor and Jeremy Corbyn after the Labour leader claimed he had been misquoted in a recent report.
Jim Waterson claimed in a report that Corbyn had said he would not stand down as leader of the party even if he loses the general election in June.
The story was published last night with the headline: “Jeremy Corbyn says he won’t quit even if he loses the general election.”
But, in an interview with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg broadcast today, Corbyn denied making the comments.
Told by Kuenssberg: “You have told other media outlets [Buzzfeed] that you would stay on if you lose,” Corbyn replied: “No, I told them I would carry on as leader because we’ll have won the election by then.”
Buzzfeed has today published a story claiming Corbyn’s team has restricted the news outfit’s access for the rest of his campaign as a result of the interview, because it had “disrupted media coverage of Labour’s launch event”.
In response, Buzzfeed produced a snippet of Waterson’s audio recording of his interview with Corbyn, which seems to support Waterson’s original report.
Press Gazette has heard the recording, which plays as follows:
Waterson: “Forgive me for asking this, I know you’re in to win it. But if it goes wrong, if for whatever reason in a month’s time you don’t get to walk into Downing Street, is this the one shot that people have to vote for Jeremy Corbyn?”
Corbyn: “I was elected leader of this party and I’ll stay leader of this party.”
Waterson: “So you’re going to stay leader of this party, no matter what happens?”
Corbyn: “I’m carrying on.”
Waterson: [repeating line] “I’m carrying on.”
Buzzfeed claims Corbyn’s team “went out of their way to ensure there was time in the leader’s busy schedule for the conversation to take place”.
Picture: Reuters/Andrew Yates
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
