Jeremy Corbyn’s only health problem is weak eye muscles that make him ‘squint’ says Labour as he meets top civil servant Mark Sedwill to discuss probe into ‘malicious’ leak about opposition leader
- Labour leader will host Sir Mark Sedwill in his Commons office this afternoon
- Party furious at reports from unnamed civil servants against the 70-year-old
- They claimed opposition leader was too ‘frail’ to govern in story for the Times
Jeremy Corbyn’s only health problem is a dodgy facial muscle that makes him sometime ‘squint’, Labour said today as he won a concession from the head of the civil service over the probe into an anonymous leak about the opposition leader.
Mr Corbyn had a ‘frank and detailed’ meeting with Sir Mark Sedwill in the MP’s Commons office about a briefing from civil servants to the Times last week about the left-winger.
Labour has been in a state of uproar ever since the allegations in Saturday’s paper, demanding an investigation be free of bureaucrats’ control to enable it to have ‘trust’ in its findings.
The party has been insisting all week that he is in robust health and his spokesman today that his only physical weakness was the eye muscle problem.
A Labour spokesman said that Mr Corbyn and shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jon Trickett , who was also present, had been assured there would be an ‘independent element’ of the civil service investigation.
A probe has been launched into the anonymous briefing which suggested Mr Corbyn was ‘too frail’ to become prime minister.
‘The seriousness of the civil service breach and the evident malicious intent behind it was acknowledged by all participants in the meeting,’ a party spokeswoman said.
‘They made clear the credibility of the investigation will be assessed on the basis of its results.
The Labour leader will host Sir Mark Sedwill in his Commons office this afternoon as the opposition continues to demand an independent probe into the actions of civil servants
On Tuesday Mr Corbyn wrote to Sir Mark (above) warning that he could only ‘trust’ a probe if it was sufficiently independent of mandarins
Jeremy Corbyn suggested the ‘establishment’ was out to get him yesterday as he lashed out at civil servant claims he is in poor health as Downing Street rejected his demands for an independent inquiry.
The row was triggered by a report in The Times, which said the future of Mr Corbyn, 70, was openly discussed at an event attended by mandarins amid suggestions he has become ‘too frail and is losing his memory’.
One civil servant was quoted as saying ‘there must be senior people in the party who know that he is not functioning on all cylinders’ while another said ‘there is a real worry that the Labour leader isn’t up to the job physically or mentally but is being propped up by those around him’.
On Tuesday the Labour leader wrote to Sir Mark warning that he could only ‘trust’ a probe if it was sufficiently independent of mandarins.
Mr Corbyn (pictured at PMQs today) took to Twitter to hammer home his fury at the claims about his health with an astonishing tirade
But Number 10 yesterday dismissed the call for an independent investigation as the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said the probe would be led by the civil service.
That morning Mr Corbyn took to Twitter to hammer home his fury at the claims about his health with an astonishing tirade.
He wrote: ‘There must be a thorough and independent investigation into senior civil servants trying to undermine the next Labour government.
‘The establishment, worried about our plans to redistribute wealth and power, is stepping up its attacks. Our movement stands together.’