The BBC Question Time audience member who spoke out in Jeremy Corbyn’s defence over Brexit was until recently a Labour communications officer, it has emerged.

During an uncomfortable grilling of the leader over his “neutral” position on a second referendum, Liam Shrivastava, intervened, saying: “There is actually precedent for this.

“When there was a referendum on Europe in the 1970s, Harold Wilson remained neutral, OK?

“So for people to say oh it’s ridiculous that he’s not taking a position, it’s false.”

Despite being reminded by the presenter, Fiona Bruce, that this was misleading because Mr Wilson had in fact expressed support of Britain’s membership of the European Community in 1975, but had not campaigned, Mr Corbyn later tweeted a clip of the intervention, saying: “Well said.”