Ex-MI6 chief claims Corbyn is a danger to national security

The former chief of MI6 has claimed the communist Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could become a danger to the country and pose a “present danger to our country” if he was to become Prime Minister.

Sir Richard Dearlove who spent 38 years with Britain’s intelligence service, has claimed that Mr Corbyn ’s past political activities would make him a security risk if he was able to access sensitive information.

Sir Richard wrote in the Mail on Sunday saying “We are faced with the possibility that a leader of the Labour Party who once preferred East Germany’s political and economic model of government, could become Prime Minister.

“Corbyn, Murray and Milne have at times each denigrated their own country and embraced the interests of its enemies and opponents [They] are compromised by their past. The political company they have kept has been authoritatively documented.

“For example, none of them would ever have been allowed to work in our national security agencies because they would have been disqualified. They would all have failed to pass their security vetting.”

Sir Richard continued:“As a democratically elected leader he would bypass the vetting procedures. Corbyn as Prime Minister, together with his current advisers, could be a present danger to our country…

“When vital national security interests are at stake, the political facts of his past cannot be airbrushed out. Politicians should have to live with their political record, and Corbyn’s, whatever political views he may claim to hold today, rules him out as someone suitable to be our Prime Minister.

“Do not even think of taking the risk of handing this politician the keys to No 10”.

And the Labour leader has been on the backfoot after revealing during the Question Time leaders’ special that he would not back either side, putting him at odds with senior party figures including John McDonnell, Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry, who have all said they would back remain.