Jeremy Corbyn explains why he won't reveal if he's had Covid vaccine
14 June 2021, 21:59 | Updated: 15 June 2021, 15:22
Covid: Jeremy Corbyn refuses to tell LBC if he has been vaccinated
Jeremy Corbyn explains to LBC why he refuses to reveal whether or not he has been vaccinated against Covid.
The former Labour leader told Iain Dale that he does have confidence in the vaccine rollout programme: "I think everybody should take advantage of it if they wish to."
Iain questioned why Mr Corbyn will not confirm his decision to be vaccinated.
"Because some years ago I was asked some extremely unpleasant questions about my health. In other words, the health between my ears. They were extremely rude and extremely intrusive questions and they were nasty and they were wrong.
"So I took a vow at that point that I would not discuss my personal health with anybody, even you Iain."
Iain countered that while this was a "perfectly fair" answer, he continued, "You are a thought leader, you're a former leader of a political party. Your words count. If you say to people I've taken the vaccine, I think you should too, I suspect there would be people out there who would take notice."
Jeremy Corbyn: I'm not overly politically correct
Mr Corbyn responded: "I have been to my local community centres and our local mosque that was opened for people to get vaccines who haven't got any appointments because many people...don't have a GP.
"I've supported the campaign to get vaccinations locally and I will continue to do that."
Iain told Mr Corbyn he was taking that as a yes, to which Mr Corbyn said, "You're a very perceptive man."
Iain said: "When I had my first one that's the first thing I said on the show.
"I am in a clinically vulnerable group and I said it because I knew...that there are people out there who have listened to me on the radio for ten years who will take notice of what I say.
"You're far more than a gob on a stick radio presenter so what you say has an impact."
Mr Corbyn said, "I want us to conquer this pandemic and I want us to conquer it round the whole world and learn the lesson: inequalities and poverty has been exacerbated by all of this. Things have got to go in the other direction."
