Corbyn class hypocrisy claim:

Labour leader faces accusations of hypocrisy after calling for the BBC to publish data on the ‘social class’ of its journalists,

Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of “hypocrisy” after he called on the BBC to publish data on the “social class” of its journalists, despite several of his closest aides hailing from leading independent schools. The Labour leader faced criticism last night after the party declined a request to provide similar information on his own inner circle.

Critics were quick to point out that three of his most senior staff were privatelyeducated – as were the party’s new general secretary and the chairman of Momentum. Mr Corbyn, who was raised in a sevenbedroom house in Shropshire, also spent his formative years at Castle House, a fee-paying preparatory school. Michael Fabricant MP said: “It’s a bit rich of Jeremy Corbyn to be calling for the disclosure of social class when he himself is surrounded by public schoolboys who inhabit the inner sanctum. It is remarkable how all the confidants of Jeremy Corbyn are white, middle-class Wykehamists [Winchester College old boys]. Others might be tempted to say that this is an example of his hypocrisy.”

James Cleverley, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, described Mr Corbyn’s proposals as “sinister”.

A spokesman said Labour would be consulting on how an employee’s social class would be determined, but noted that possible indicators could include school type, parental occupation and their education.

Jeremy Corbyn after delivering the Alternative Mactaggart lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival yesterday, in which he suggested a series of changes to the way the British media is run