The shadow chancellor has been criticised after labelling Sir Winston Churchill a "villain" over his role in dealing with striking miners in Wales in 1910.

John McDonnell made the remark during an interview with the Politico website, and was asked "Winston Churchill, hero or villain?"

After a moment's pause for thought he replied: "Tonypandy - villain."

He was referring to Sir Winston's role in dealing with a strike by miners in the Rhondda Valley village of Tonypandy in November 1910, when he was home secretary.

Image: Striking miners in South Wales in 1910

The initially peaceful strike had become more fractious after the strikers discovered the mine owners were intending to bring in workers from outside the area to keep the colliery machinery working.


The local authorities asked the Home Office for help and Sir Winston eventually agreed to send 200 Metropolitan Police officers and a detachment of troops.

On the night of 8 November 1910 the situation deteriorated, leading to running battles in which one miner died and hundreds of people were injured.

Image: Winston Churchill as home secretary in 1910

Mr McDonnell's comments have drawn fierce criticism from all sides, with Theresa May declaring her admiration for Sir Winston, whose portrait hangs in her office.

Mrs May said she looked up to his "strong leadership, determination and unwavering personality".

She found unusual support from her former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who has written a book on Sir Winston.

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He said: "Winston Churchill saved this country and the whole of Europe from a barbaric fascist and racist tyranny and our debt to him is incalculable.

"If John McDonnell had the slightest knowledge of history he would be aware that Churchill also had an extraordinary record as a social reformer who cared deeply for working people and their lives."

Robert Halfon, a former Conservative minister, also defended Sir Winston, calling him "not only our greatest prime minister but a wonderful social reformer and a man who defeated Nazi tyranny".

Andrea Leadsom, leader of the House of Commons, said: "Someone calling Sir Winston Churchill a villain is, in effect, denigrating the achievements of a man who led this country to potentially its greatest ever contribution to global peace, and it's a great shame that he was described in this way."

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Responding to Mr McDonnell's comments, Churchill's grandson, Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames told the Daily Telegraph: "Frankly it's a very foolish and stupid thing to say, surely said to gain publicity.

"I think my grandfather's reputation can withstand a publicity-seeking assault from a third-rate, Poundland Lenin. I don't think it will shake the world."

Image: Police officers deployed to Tonypandy during the miners' strike of 1910

The reputation of Britain's wartime leader has been increasingly called into question in recent years.

The man voted the greatest Briton in a 2002 BBC poll has been accused of being a racist and misogynist.

Many on the left see Sir Winston's reputation as tarnished by Tonypandy, but Mr McDonnell said he held the then prime minister, Herbert Henry Asquith, as responsible for the decision to send troops, which ultimately led to bloodshed.

He stood by his comments, saying although Sir Winston was "obviously a hero during the Second World War", history ought to teach people to look at individuals "in the round".

Mr McDonnell said: "If it's prompted a more rounded debate about Churchill's role, well I welcome it."

Image: Churchill led a coalition government during WWII

Mr McDonnell did find support from some of his party, like backbencher Chris Williamson who said it was people like his parents who won the war, not Churchill.

He agreed that the former prime minister had been a "villain", criticising his record before and after the Second World War.