Jeremy Corbyn was a firebrand protester in the 1980s

Jeremy Corbyn was arrested in 1986 taking part in a protest by IRA sympathisers to “show solidarity” with accused terrorists including the Brighton bomber, a Sunday Times investigation reveals.

Corbyn joined a picket outside the Old Bailey to oppose the “show trial” of a group including Patrick Magee, who was subsequently convicted of murdering five people at the 1984 Tory party conference.

Magee was also convicted with the other defendants of planning a massive bombing campaign in London and seaside resorts.

Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, defended her leader this morning for speaking out openly at the time, adding that Mr Corbyn’s position was “not having open support for the IRA”.

The disclosure comes the week after Corbyn said that Britain had not fought