Politics is known as a dirty game - and Jeremy Corbyn has advised a high-profile US congresswoman that budding gardeners also need to get their hands dirty.

The Labour leader took a break from the Brexit crisis engulfing Westminster in order to respond to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's request for gardening tips.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who is widely known by her initials AOC, has become one of the most high-profile Democrats since she entered the US House of Representatives earlier this year.

Image: Ms Ocasio-Cortez has drawn national attention since being elected to US Congress

On Sunday, the 29-year-old asked her Twitter followers for help after taking on responsibility for a garden community plot.

She wrote: "Any green-thumbs out with sage words of advice?


"What should I plant? (Ideally at least 1 edible thing but we can do flowers too)."

Among those to respond was Mr Corbyn, who regularly tends to his own allotment in north London.

"For a new plot, first see what is already growing!," he replied.

"Then go for some flowers and plants that attract bees and thus improve pollination for everyone - lavender or comfrey good for bees.

"Best way to be healthy is to get your hands dirty - in the soil!"

For a new plot, first see what is already growing! Then go for some flowers and plants that attract bees and thus improve pollination for everyone - lavender or comfrey good for bees. Best way to be healthy is to get your hands dirty - in the soil! — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 7, 2019

As well as sharing enthusiasm for gardening, Mr Corbyn and Ms Ocasio-Cortez are both avowed socialists from the left-wing of their respective parties.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez previously worked on Bernie Sanders' ultimately unsuccessful campaign to be the Democratic candidate to run against Donald Trump in 2016.

Despite being too young to run for president herself in 2020, Ms Ocasio-Cortez has drawn national attention in the US over recent months and her maiden speech to congress became hugely popular online.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has 3.87 million Twitter followers, compared to Mr Corbyn's 1.94 million.

US politics turns to Instagram

Mr Corbyn has previously spoken of his love for gardening.

Prior to the 2017 general election, Mr Corbyn gifted the presenters of the BBC's The One Show with jars of his homemade jam.

He told the programme: "There's something magic when you grow your own beans, when you grow your own potatoes, when you grow your own corn."

The Labour leader was also accused of having an untidy hedge outside his Islington home, to which he replied: "You have got to let the plants grow a bit, then you prune them back."

In 2016, Mr Corbyn's aides were reportedly unable to reach the Labour leader during a high-profile row with Virgin Trains because he was "making jam".