EX-MI6 chief ’s concern over Corbyn’s ‘past associations’

A FORMER head of MI6 has said he is “troubled” by Jeremy Corbyn’s “past associations”.

Sir Richard Dearlove said the Labour leader had previously associated himself with people who were not “friends of the British nation”.

Appearing on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News, Sir Richard said: “Someone coming from my background is troubled by Jeremy Corbyn’s past associations, some of which I find surprising and worrying.

“He may have abandoned them now, but I don’t think he can entirely, as it were, dump your past. He’s enthusiastically associated himself with groups and interests which I would not say were the friends of the British nation.” Sir Richard, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service known as MI6 from 1999 to 2004, also dismissed the idea of a “deep state” working against the Labour Party – a claim aired by Andrew Murray, an aide to Mr Corbyn and the Unite leader, Len Mccluskey.

Sir Richard’s remarks prompted a sharp rebuke from shadow chancellor John Mcdonnell, also on the programme.

He said: “Look, this is a member, a reactionary member, of the establishment, so I don’t think he’d welcome a Labour government of any sort, to be frank.

“I think he should spend his retirement in quiet contemplation of the role that he played with regard to the Iraq war where over half a million people at least were killed.”