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Jeremy Corbyn mocks Piers Morgan in Spanish after meeting with Arsenal star Hector Bellerin

The Labour leader tweeted at both the Arsenal player and the TV presenter in Spanish, knowing Mr Morgan would not understand

Tom Peck
Tuesday 19 September 2017 14:54 BST
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Corbyn spoke to Hector Bellerin at the GQ Man of the Year Awards
Corbyn spoke to Hector Bellerin at the GQ Man of the Year Awards

Jeremy Corbyn has responded to Piers Morgan's claim that he was deliberately "shut out" of a conversation with Spanish Arsenal full back Hector Bellerin when the Labour leader deliberately switched into Spanish, by tweeting at both men, in Spanish.

Mr Bellerin had told Piers Morgan to "calm down mate" over the claim in his column. Mr Corbyn replied ,saying: "Fue un placer conocerte.Es mejor que no le digamos de lo que estabamos hablando, no lo entenderia. Muy buen juego en el partido el domingo."

In English, this translates as: "It was nice meeting you. It's best if we don't tell him what we were talking about, he would not understand. Very good game on Sunday."

Piers Morgan wrote in a column for the MailOnline that Jeremy Corbyn prevented him from joining a conversation the Labour leader was having with Arsenal footballer Hector Bellerin by continuing the exchange in Spanish.

The interaction apparently took place at the annual GQ Men of the Year awards, at which Mr Corbyn was a guest and at which he presented Grime star Stormzy with the best solo artist prize.

During the after party for the event at the Tate Modern in London, Mr Corbyn, whose Islington North constituency includes Arsenal football club, was talking to the club’s Spanish right-back Mr Bellerin.

According to Mr Morgan’s Daily Mail column, he had been seated at the same table as Mr Bellerin, and earlier in the evening had been talking to him about Arsenal’s recent run of poor form.

He wrote: “Later, fellow Arsenal fan Jeremy Corbyn came over to speak to him. When I tried to interrupt, the Labour leader – whose wife is Mexican – promptly switched to fluent Spanish to shut me out of the conversation.”

According to Mr Morgan, he then asked the Labour leader what he’d said to the footballer.

He wrote: “Corbyn smirked. ‘I told him to please send Arsène Wenger my very best and assure him he continues to have my full support, even if he’s lost yours, Piers. In fact, particularly because he’s lost yours…’”

According to Mr Morgan’s account of the interaction, he then replied to Mr Corbyn: “He’s lost mine because we keep losing. You and Wenger are the only losers in football and politics to keep their job... no wonder you love him.”

Despite saying he had called the Labour leader a “loser” to his face, in the next paragraph Mr Morgan writes: “Corbyn got a huge cheer when he presented an award. His extraordinary popularity shows no sign of abating.”

After a tweet brought Mr Morgan’s column to his attention, Mr Bellerin responded, writing: “Come on mate, don’t take it personally @piersmorgan”. The footballer also added a grinning emoji face weeping tears of laughter.

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