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Watch: Jeremy Corbyn’s Diane Abbott moment

Oh dear. Jeremy Corbyn put in his best media performance of the campaign last night. But things have taken a turn for the worse this morning. Jez popped up on Woman’s Hour to unveil the party’s plans to give free childcare to parents. The only problem? Corbyn had no idea how much it would cost. The blundering Labour leader did his best to play for time but ended up asking the presenter what his flagship policy would cost:

Here’s how it unfolded:

Emma Barnett: How much will it cost to provide un-means tested childcare for 1.3million parents?

Jeremy Corbyn: Erm, it would cost. Erm, it would obviously cost…a lot to do so. We accept that.

EB: I presume you have the figures?

JC: Yes, I do. It does cost a lot to do.

EB: So how much will it cost?

JC: I’ll give you the figure in a moment.

EB: You don’t know it.

JC: Erm…

EB: You’re logging into your iPad here.

JC: Can I give you the exact figure in a moment?

Mr S suggests that Jeremy Corbyn would do well to avoid taking too much advice from Diane Abbott…

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Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

This article originally appeared in the UK edition

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