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John McDonnell tonight branded Winston Churchill a “villain”.

The Shadow Chancellor, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn , was asked whether Britain's wartime leader was a “hero or villain”.

Speaking at a Playbook Live event in London, the controversial Labour frontbencher replied: “Villain – Tonypandy”.

That was a reference to the Welsh mining village which was wrecked after Churchill, as Home Secretary, ordered troops to help police quell riots in 1910.

(Image: Print Collector/Getty Images)

Churchill sent 200 Metropolitan Police officers into Tonypandy, with a detachment of Lancashire Fusiliers held in reserve in Cardiff.

But the soldiers were eventually sent onto the streets of the Rhondda Valley village to control striking miners who vandalised town centre shops and mineowners' property.

The move left much bad-feeling towards Churchill in the Valley, though the controversy was largely forgotten after he led Britain to victory over the Nazis.