John McDonnell, Labour's shadow chancellor, appeared to be channeling his inner Justin Trudeau yesterday when he referred to British fishermen as "fisherpeople" during a television interview.

Labour's shadow chancellor spoke of the need to protect the interests of British fishing fleets after Brexit, employing the unfamiliar phrase which drew comparisons to the Canadian Prime Minister.

Mr Trudeau, notorious for his careful and sometimes strange use of language, recently told a young woman that she should refer to "peoplekind" instead of "mankind", a decision he was criticsed for.

Asked whether Labour would be prepared to negotiate fishing rights with the European Union after Brexit, following Chancellor Philip Hammond's admission that he would, Mr McDonnell said: "Look, we want to ensure our own fisherpeople lead the discussions that we’re having about our future fishing industry."