Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of trying to hijack a memorial to the Manchester bombing victims to drum up votes during the election.

Labour officials say the leader’s closest aides, Seumas Milne and Karie Murphy, wanted him to pose for pictures with local party candidates at a vigil for the victims of the suicide bomb attack at an Ariana Grande concert in May that killed 22 people. Corbyn also had to be banned from waving at the crowds or agreeing to selfies when he got there.

The leader’s office demanded that Ian Lavery, one of the party’s campaign directors, whose Wansbeck seat is about 150 miles away in northeast England, appear with Corbyn on the main stage of the event.

And a planned visit to