Corbyn to step down as leader if Labor doesn't win general election, McDonnell says – The Independent, Independent

Jeremy Corbynwill quit ifLaborloses thegeneral electionexpected within months, says his key allyJohn McDonnell– promising to follow him out of the door.

The shadow chancellor insisted Labor could win a Commons majority – despite the party’s disastrous poll ratings – but admitted the price of failure would be resignation.

Asked if Mr Corbyn could “stay on”, Mr McDonnell replied: “I can’t see so. What we’d do is as the tradition, which is have an election for a new leader. ”

Speaking toAlastair Campbell, in an interview for GQ magazine, he also said: “I think it is the same for my own personal position. ”

Mr McDonnell also insisted he backed Mr Corbyn’s determination to fight an election before a freshBrexitreferendum is held – but admitted aFinal Sayreferendum could yet come first.

“Within parliament itself there is a large number of people who are saying we’d rather have a referendum attached to any deal,” he acknowledged.

And he added: “Once we get to the stage of blocking no-deal, a general election is on the table. If we can’t get that general election, the referendum becomes an option. ”

(The Independent) revealed yesterday thatLabor MPs are bombarding the party’s whips’ officewith demands for Mr Corbyn to back a referendum first.

In the interview, Mr McDonnell also:

* Ruled out a coalition deal with theScottish National Party, or the (Liberal Democrats) , if Labor falls short of a majority – insisting Mr Corbyn would put forward his program and challenge the other parties to vote it down.

* Denied Mr Corbyn had been “dragged kicking and screaming” into supporting a Final Say public vote, saying: “He hasn’t. You’re wrong on this. ”

* Argued “climate change is the big issue now”, which meant the election would be “more than a class revolution”.

* Denied Labor at Westminster was riven by splits, insisting: “I’ve never seen the parliamentary Labor Party more united in the last couple of years.”

* SuggestedBoris Johnsonis as extreme asDonald Trump, saying: “I think it is very difficult to see anything between them.”

* Described his 70 – year-old leader’s fitness as “unbelievable”, saying: “He’s running every morning. Jeremy is the fittest person I know. ”

* Admitted the attempt to removeTom Watsonas deputy leader, onthe eve of Labor’s conference last month, had been “a fiasco” – but insisted Mr Corbyn “wasn’t aware” of it in advance.

On Labor’s election chances, Mr McDonnell denied the poll ratings – putting Labor in the low 20 s – meant “the country has just decided Jeremy is not going to be prime minister ”.

He insisted Mr Johnson “has got vulnerabilities just as much asTheresa Maythat we can expose and exploit in a campaign ”.

“I’m not being unrealistic, but the political climate is incredibly unpredictable,” Mr McDonnell said, adding: “I think we can win a majority.”