Jeremy Corbyn has ruled out a boycott of Russian state backed TV channel RT, after his right hand man John McDonnell called on all Labour MPs not to appear on its programmes again.

Speaking yesterday Mr McDonnell said it was right for the party to rethink its attitude towards the Russian broadcaster amid fears President Putin may be behind a nerve agent attack on a former spy and his daughter on British soil.

But just hours after he promised not to go on Russia Today again, Mr McDonnell was reprimanded by his own leader, who put out a statement saying the party would keep its position on RT "under review" but sources said a boycott would not take place.

It came after a shadow treasury minister appeared on the channel amid intense speculation that the Kremlin is behind the attack on Sergei Skripal and his 33 year old daughter.