perhaps he should consider some of the actions within his own party as well , JEREMY CORBYN’S frontbench spokesman on trade unions has been criticised for accepting almost £1.6m from sick and injured miners to fund the declining union branch he ran.

Ian Lavery, shadow minister for trade unions, was the general secretary of the Northumberland area of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) before entering parliament.

During his tenure it received donations from miners who had been compensated for industrial injuries.

These included more than £1m from payouts for vibration white finger and more than £600,000 from compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, according to its annual returns lodged with the certification officer who regulates unions.

This weekend Lavery, 53, said he did not “recognise” the £1.6m figure in the returns, which show it was donated between 1996 and 2010.