Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he wants an 'accommodation' with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

Mr Corbyn said the islanders should have a 'enormous say' over their future - but insisted the continuing dispute between Britain and Argentina was ridiculous in the 21st Century.

A referendum was held on the islands in 2013 and 99.8 per cent of people said they wished to remain British. The Falkland Islands government today repeated its belief in self determination.

The Government has strongly resisted repeated interventions and spats with Argentina in recent years amid renewed disputes over the South Atlantic islands and its growing oil and gas industry.

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Jeremy Corbyn, pictured arriving at the BBC today, has said he wants to reach a 'reasonable accommodation' with Argentina over the Falklands

But despite the landslide referendum result, Mr Corbyn said today: 'I think there has to be a discussion about how you can bring about some reasonable accommodation with Argentina.

'It seems to me ridiculous that in the 21st Century we would be getting into some enormous conflict with Argentina about some islands just off it.

'Yes, of course the islanders have an enormous say in it but let's bring about some sensible dialogue.

'It happened before and I'm sure it can happen again.'

Asked if the people living on the Islands should have a 'veto' on their own future, Mr Corbyn said: 'They have a right to stay where they are, they have a right to decide on their own future, that will be part of it.

'Let's have that discussion and let's not set agendas in advance.'

Asked if he supported the 1982 war to reclaim the Falklands, Mr Corbyn said: 'I thought the original war was a problem for both countries in the sense Galtieri was a deeply unpopular dictator in Argentina.

'I thought president Terry of Peru was trying to make enormous progress by bringing about a UN resolution to it and then we had the disaster of the sinking of the Belgrano and the situation got worse as a result of that.'

Mr Corbyn added: 'Surely in the 21st Century, we can do better than going to war on these things.'

On its official feed, the Falkland Island's government tweeted: 'The right to self-determination and have a say in our own future is fundamental to people of the Falklands.

'Any decisions affect our lives.'

The line of questioning infuriated former deputy prime minister John Prescott who tweeted: 'Why did he ask about Flying Pickets and the Falkland Islands? Are these really the big issues of today?

'Forget Deutschland '83 - today's Corbyn interview was more Marr '82.'

Britain last year bolstered the defences of the Falklands with the deployment of two Chinook helicopters, maintenance of a Royal Navy patrol vessel being in the area at all times and a 10 year, £180 million programme to upgrade the harbour.

The British garrison includes about 1,200 armed forces personnel, including 150 infantry.

The Falkland Islands government reiterated its belief in self determination following Mr Corbyn's remarks

Mr Corbyn made his remarks in a live TV interview on the BBC Andrew Marr programme

Labour MP John Woodcock suggested Mr Corbyn was 'deliberately stoking tensions within Labour.

He said: 'Like he's deliberately re-opening old wounds that will drive decent working class folk away and make us unelectable.'

At a summit last summer Prime Minister David Cameron rebuked an Argentine foreign minister and told him to stop being 'threatening' after he brought up the subject of the disputed south Atlantic islands.

As they tucked into a dinner of roast quail and strawberries, Hector Timerman proclaimed the British territory was Argentinian.

Addressing all the assembled guests, he said Britain was clinging to a 'colonialist' policy regarding the contested area.

Labour MP John Woodcock suggested Mr Corbyn was driving 'decent working class folk away' from Labour with interventions such as his comments on the Falklands

'182 years ago, the United Kingdom expelled Argentine population and authorities from the Malvinas islands, breaking the territorial integrity of my country,' he said.

But Mr Cameron, who was sat on a different table, immediately demanded the opportunity to respond and argued Argentina needed to respect the overwhelming will of the population to remain under British rule.

'The Falklands have the right to self-determination and the surrounding waters are under jurisdiction of the Falklands,' he said.

'I reject the threatening words of the Argentine Foreign Minister.'

The row came over dinner at a European Council summit in Brussels where more than 60 leaders of EU, Latin American and Caribbean countries were meeting to discuss trade and co-operation.