Can we come back to that in a moment?

Emma Barnett: How much will it cost to provide un-means-tested child care for 1.3 million children? Jeremy Corbyn:

Erm, it will cost, erm.

It will obviously cost a lot to do so, we accept that.

EB: I presume you have the figures?

JC: Yes, I do. We’ll – it does cost a lot to do it. The point I’m trying to make is that we’re making it universal so that we are in a position to make sure that every child gets it and those that can at the moment get free places will continue to get them, those that have to pay won’t and we’ll collect the money through taxation, mainly through corporate taxation.

EB: So how much will it cost?

JC: I’ll give you the figure in a moment.

EB: You don’t know it. JC: Erm… EB: You’re logging into your ipad here. You’ve announced a major policy, and you don’t know how much it will cost?

JC: Can I give you the exact figure in a moment, please?

EB: Is this not exactly the issue with people and the Labour Party, which came up under Gordon Brown, that we cannot trust you with our money?

JC: Not at all. All of our manifesto is fully costed and examined.

EB: You’re holding your manifesto, you’re flicking through it, you’ve got an ipad there, you’ve had a phone call while we’re in here, and yet you don’t know how much it’s going to cost.

JC: Can we come back to that in a moment?

EB: What, when you’ve looked it up? My point is, this is quite troubling.

This is a policy you’re launching today, Mr Corbyn, and you don’t know how much it’s going to cost. It hardly inspires the voters.

JC: I think what is important for the voters to understand is that if we don’t invest in our children and we don’t invest in them for the future then they do less well in primary school, less well in secondary school and less well in the future.

EB: But you don’t know the cost?

JC: I want to give

you an accurate figure.

EB: Why on earth are you giving free childcare to people who can afford it, if it’s un-meanstested? You don’t have the figure. Hopefully somebody’s emailing it to you. ....

EB: It’s a staggering cost. Would you like to know how much your policy is going to cost, Mr Corbyn?

JC: What is your estimate of it?

EB: Well, it’s actually Angela Rayner, your shadow education secretary .... £2.7billion, and then £4.8 billion, with half a billion to reverse the cuts to the Sure Start scheme.

Does that sound about right?

JC: It does sound correct…