John McDonnell brands Labour rebels 'f***ing useless' during rally backing Jeremy Corbyn

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell branded MPs trying to oust Jeremy Corbyn "f***ing useless" at a rally backing the Labour leader.

Mr McDonnell made the comments after Mr Corbyn was given a boost when Labour's ruling body said he would automatically be on the ballot for a leadership contest.

Angela Eagle and Owen Smith are both set to take on Mr Corbyn amid a crisis threatening Labour's future.

Labour's National Executive Committee decision that Mr Corbyn should be on the ballot without needing MPs' support is a major boost to the party's hard left leadership, which enjoys support among members.

At the rally in Kentish Town last night, Mr McDonnell praised the "heroism" of Mr Corbyn, adding: "I say it is the first wave of the coup; they’ve been planning this coup from the day Jeremy got elected.

"They’ve been plotting and conniving. The only good thing about it: as plotters, they’re f***ing useless."

Mr McDonnell went on: “Don’t think they’ll stop there; they’ll come back and they’ll try to hit us again, and we’ll defeat them again, won’t we?...”

Minutes after the Shadow Chancellor’s speech, Mr Corbyn praised him as his “great comrade”.

Addressing the cheering crowd at the London event, he said: “We treat people with respect, we don’t throw abuse around."

Mr Corbyn later released a video on his Twitter account celebrating being automatically placed on the ballot.

Another Corbyn ally, PCS union boss Mark Serwotka attacked former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, calling him a “disgrace to Wales”, and telling him to “p*** off”.

Mr McDonnell today dismissed the language he used at the event as a joke.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "It was a stand up comedy event, it was a joke.

"I'm an ordinary bloke, I used some bad language."

But Labour MPs condemned the language used by Mr McDonnell at the rally.

Labour leadership contender Owen Smith said: "That's not language he should be using as shadow chancellor and it's not language I would be using."

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