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Tory Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was left red-faced after slating what he thought was a Jeremy Corbyn quote - before realising they were actually Boris Johnson's words.

The top Conservative was attacking the Labour leader live on Channel 4 News this evening.

It came after Mr Corbyn said we "must be brave enough" to admit the war on terror has failed in a landmark speech following the Manchester suicide bombing.

Presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy read out a quote to Mr Fallon: "Isn't it possible that things like the Iraq war did not create the problem of murderous Islamic fundamentalists, though the war has unquestionably sharpened the resentments felt by such people in this country and given them a new pretext?"

Mr Fallon thought this was a comment from Mr Corbyn's speech and went on the attack: "Well they are not entitled to excuses."

(Image: Channel 4)

But he was left dumbfounded when he found out they were actually words from an article by Boris a week after the 7/7 bombings in 2005.

Mr Guru-Murthy said: "Those are actually the words of Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary.

"He goes on to say, 'the Iraq war did not introduce the poison into our bloodstream but, yes, the war did help to potentiate that poison'."

A flustered Mr Fallon said: "Well I don't agree with that."

The presenter replied: "So Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, is wrong?"

(Image: Channel 4) (Image: PA)

And the Defence Secretary said: "Well I would have to see the words you are trying to quote to me, I don't have them in front of me."

It comes just hours after Boris called Mr Corbyn "monstrous" for his speech today, saying: "Now is not the time to do anything to subtract from the fundamental responsibility of those individuals, that individual in particular, who committed this atrocity.

"And I think it is absolutely monstrous that anybody should seek to do so.”

But in his 2005 article, Boris made the exact same point as Mr Corbyn was trying to make today.