Jeremy Corbyn brands storm over his meetings with a Soviet-backed spy 'nonsense' and refuses to answer Theresa May's demand he authorise the release of any Stasi files on him

  • May today said every MP had to be 'accountable' for the actions in their career 
  • Intervention came after Czech ex-spy Jan Sarkocy made lurid new allegations   
  • Labour figures pocketed between £1,000 and £10,000 a meeting, Sarkocy said 

Jeremy Corbyn dismissed a storm over his meetings with a Soviet-backed spy 30 years ago as 'nonsense' today.

The Labour leader denied he was himself a spy in heated exchanges at a manufacturing conference that saw journalists booed for raising questions.

Mr Corbyn refused to directly answer a question about Theresa May's demand for him to authorise the release of any Stasi files held on him.

The Prime Minister yesterday demanded Mr Corbyn be 'open and transparent' about his past as a week-long scandal continued to grow.  

Labour has furiously denied the claims levelled against Mr Corbyn and other senior MPs since his name was found on archive files held by the Czech security services.

They revealed he was given the code name 'Cob' and ex-spy Jan Sarkocy has made a series of lurid allegations since the records first emerged publicly last week.

Labour sources have insisted Sarkocy has no credibility and nothing to back up his incendiary claims, branding them 'absurd' and a 'tissue of lies'. 

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the EEF conference in London yesterday) dismissed a storm over his meetings with a Soviet-backed spy 30 years ago as 'nonsense'

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today at the EEF conference in London) dismissed a storm over his meetings with a Soviet-backed spy 30 years ago as 'nonsense' today

The Labour leader (pictured making his speech today) denied he was himself a spy in heated exchanges at a manufacturing conference that saw journalists booed for raising questions

The Labour leader (pictured making his speech today) denied he was himself a spy in heated exchanges at a manufacturing conference that saw journalists booed for raising questions

Former Czech spy Jan Sarkocy (pictured) has made a series of claims about his contacts with Labour MPs during the Cold War

Labour MPs were paid up to £10,000 to meet Eastern Bloc agents during the Cold War, an ex-spy Jan Sarkocy (pictured) claimed

Following their first meeting in Parliament in 1986, Mr Sarkocy wrote: 'He seems to be the right person for fulfilling the task and giving information.'

In a later memo, the spy said Mr Corbyn had 'an active supply of information on British intelligence services'.   

The Prime Minister addressed the issue for the first time yesterday as she answered questions after a speech on education.

Mrs May said: 'It's for individual MP s to be accountable for the actions in their past.

'Where there are allegations of this sort they should be prepared to be open and transparent.'   

Sarkocy's latest claim is that Labour MPs were paid up to £10,000 to meet Eastern Bloc agents during the Cold War.

He said at least 15 senior Labour figures had shared information with him in the late 1980s. Some pocketed between £1,000 and £10,000 per meeting but still wanted more, he alleged.

The former Czech spy, who met Mr Corbyn at the time, claimed the MPs 'wanted big bucks for giving us help'. 

Theresa May (pictured in Derby yesterday) has demanded Jeremy Corbyn be 'open and transparent' in response to allegations he and other Labour MPs met with Soviet-backed spies 30 years ago

Theresa May (pictured in Derby yesterday) has demanded Jeremy Corbyn be 'open and transparent' in response to allegations he and other Labour MPs met with Soviet-backed spies 30 years ago

His latest comments prompted calls for an official probe into the allegations.

Mr Corbyn vehemently denies Mr Sarkocy's claim he was a paid informant of the Czech secret police.

It was also alleged that John McDonnell had met a KGB agent several times and Ken Livingstone had met representatives of the Czech regime, although there is no suggestion that either of these were paid.

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood wrote on Twitter: 'Corbyn (and others') meetings with the StB (the repressive Czechoslovak secret police & intelligence service) at the height of the Cold War ... raises serious questions about his loyalty to Britain that should be investigated.'

The Mail understands MPs are urging the Commons foreign affairs committee to consider the claims in its probe into the influence of foreign powers on elections.

Tory MP David Morris has written to the committee chairman Tom Tughendhat to formally ask for hearings. 

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood wrote on Twitter: 'Corbyn (and others') meetings with the StB (the repressive Czechoslovak secret police & intelligence service) at the height of the Cold War ... raises serious questions about his loyalty to Britain that should be investigated.'

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood wrote on Twitter: 'Corbyn (and others') meetings with the StB (the repressive Czechoslovak secret police & intelligence service) at the height of the Cold War ... raises serious questions about his loyalty to Britain that should be investigated.'

Mr Sarkocy, 64, who was not involved in organising or delivering the payments, described the MPs as 'great sources' to himself or colleagues in the KGB.

Speaking from his home in Bratislava, he has alleged that Mr Corbyn shared 'good information that we could use' with the Communist Czechoslovak regime.

The Labour figures have hit back at the claims, branding them 'absurd', 'ridiculous' and a 'tissue of lies' – and the party has dismissed Mr Sarkocy as a 'fantasist'.  

Mr Sarkocy worked for the Statni Bezpecnost (StB) at Czechoslovakia's London embassy under the identity of a diplomat called Lieutenant Jan Dymic. 

The former Czech spy, who met Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) at the time, claimed the MPs ‘wanted big bucks for giving us help’

The former Czech spy, who met Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) at the time, claimed the MPs 'wanted big bucks for giving us help'

He was in Britain from 1986 to 1989 before being expelled and says there was 'no question' the Labour figures knew he was a spy.

It was claimed official records show only part of the picture and that he met Mr Corbyn – codenamed Agent Cob – 'more than ten times'. 

Mr Corbyn admits meeting Mr Sarkocy, but strenuously denies supplying information to a foreign power. 

Yesterday an online petition was launched calling for the Labour leader to make public any files showing his link to Communist spy agencies.

More than 2,500 people had signed it last night. 

It said Mr Corbyn 'has a duty to provide clarity over who he met, what information he handed over, and how deep the relationship was.'

Mr Sarkocy said the Islington North MP was a very 'smart and polite guy' and was a communist 'from the inside', following in the footsteps of his parents.

Earlier this week, Mr McDonnell said the accusations against him were 'ludicrous' and 'lies'. Mr Livingstone said he had 'no recollection of meeting anyone from the Czech embassy' and said Mr Sarkocy's claims were 'a tissue of lies'.

Tom Watson, Labour deputy leader, attacked the Press, saying the claims were 'not worth the paper they're printed on'. 

John McDonnell's alleged meeting with an agent 

It was also alleged that John McDonnell (pictured) had met a KGB agent several times

It was also alleged that John McDonnell (pictured) had met a KGB agent several times

John McDonnell is accused of meeting a Soviet agent during the Cold War.

The shadow chancellor is said to have met a man known as P Tibor as he was wooed by spies for the Eastern Bloc.

Jan Sarkocy said he witnessed the meeting in Guildford some time between 1986 and 1989. The former Czech spy said Mr McDonnell was one of up to 15 Labour MPs who were 'great sources' to himself or KGB colleagues.

He said Ken Livingstone frequently visited the Czech embassy where he drank whisky with diplomats – and that the then MP was a 'good boy' and in a 'very strong position in the Labour Party'.

Former London mayor Mr Livingstone said that Mr Sarkocy's accusations were a 'tissue of lies'.

Mr McDonnell said of the claims against him: 'These are ridiculous and false allegations. I have never met any Czechoslovak or Soviet agent, nor visited the Soviet or Russian embassy and have only visited Guildford once … for a Labour Party public meeting.'

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