FILE PHOTO: John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, reacts after retaining his parliamentary seat in the general election, in Uxbridge, Britain, December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - John McDonnell, Labour’s finance policy chief, accepted the blame on Sunday for the main opposition party’s election “disaster” last week when many traditional supporters switched to back Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“Let me make it clear that it’s on me. Let’s take it on the chin. I own this disaster,” McDonnell told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

Asked when he would leave as finance policy chief, he said the new Labour leadership would most probably be in place early next year, adding he would back a woman leader and believed she should be a “non-London” lawmaker.