John McDonnell has called Marxism 'a force for change today' and one of the biggest influences on Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.

The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer gave a strident defence of Marxism at an event in London to commemorate 200 years since Karl Marx's birth.

Mr McDonnell called Britain's capitalist system 'crisis-ridden' and claimed people were flocking to Marxist ideology as an alternative.

John McDonnell has called Marxism 'a force for change today' and one of the biggest influences on Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party

Mr McDonnell (left) is a self-confessed socialist who was controversially appointed to Labour's top economic post after Jeremy Corbyn (right) took over as leader

'There's a significant revival of the question who really owns our society,' he said at the Marx 200 conference held at SOAS University of London on Saturday.

The 66-year-old then flagged a government takeover of private infrastructure and services under a Corbyn Labour government, according to people in the audience.

'This has led Labour to discuss how it can develop the cooperative sector and take back into public ownership rail and water and the post office,' he said.

Mr McDonnell was swiftly condemned by Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall, a prominent Labour supporter who sang at Tony Blair's election victory party.

'As a communist, McDonnell does not belong in the Labour Party,' he wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

Mr McDonnell began his speech by joking 'can you imagine what my press team said?' and admitted Marxism had a 'problem with branding'.

The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer gave a strident defence of Marxism at an event in London to commemorate 200 years since Karl Marx's birth

Mr McDonnell called Britain's capitalist system 'crisis-ridden' and people were flocking to Marxist ideology as an alternative

'In an open and democratic society there should be no fear of discussing the ideas of Marx,' he said, declaring he wouldn't allow 'the media' to 'silence him with a culture of self censorship'.

'I am here to reject the politics of fear promoted by the British establishment who don't want us to discuss the ideas of Marxism,' he said.

He paid tribute to Marxism's tradition and 'relevance to changing today's world', listing it as one of the most important influences on Corbyn's Labour.

Other influences included Owen and Carlyle, Ruskin, Laski running to Crosland and Benn and Christian Socialism.

'To be considered of value, Ideas have to be relevant and of interest today. Ten years after the banking crash, interest in Marxism hasn't declined, its increased,' he said.

Mr McDonnell was swiftly condemned by Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall (pictured left with Tony Blair), to whom he gave £25,000 in campaign donations

'As a communist, McDonnell does not belong in the Labour Party,' he wrote in a now-deleted tweet

Mr McDonnell claimed the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader led to an upsurge in interest and participation in politics.

'Marx's ideas confront many of the issues that affect our people... this system is crisis-ridden... as Marx said, the massive extension of credit will only make it worse,' he said.

'Now we are entering the fourth industrial revolution, where networks confront hierarchies' and the rise of the 'gig economy', he added.

The self-confessed socialist who was controversially appointed to Labour's top economic post said unspecified 'lies' about Marxism needed to be disproved.

'Marxism is about developing democracy, but to have an honest debate we need to be able to cut through the lies about Marxism,' he said.

Mr McDonnell standing in support of communist newspaper The Morning Star

Hucknall's blunt denunciation was joined by Conservative Harborough MP Neil O'Brien, who noted the millions killed by Communist dictators

'The time for that debate, which coincides with the erosion of Neo liberalism is with us. Another world isn't just possible, it's within sight.'

Hucknall's blunt denunciation was joined by Conservative Harborough MP Neil O'Brien, who noted the millions killed by Communist dictators.

'Ladies and gentlemen, John McDonnell: a man who wants to be your Chancellor, who says 'I am a Marxist' and is happy to stand in front of a banner of a man whose ideas led to the deaths of tens of millions of innocent people,' he wrote.

Soviet Leader Josef Stalin killed more than 20 million in gulags and purges, Mao Zedong killed at least 43 million in the Chinese Civil War and Cultural Revolution, and Pol Pot systematically murdered up to 3 million in Cambodia.

Hucknall was a prominent Labour supporter who sang at Tony Blair's election victory party (pictured) but became disillusioned by Corbyn's Labour

Star credit: Mick Hucknall with Coronation Street actress Liz Dawn at a gala dinner for Labour Party supporters

Mr McDonnell's appearance was included in a program of the event run by the Marx Memorial Library

Mr Corbyn's openly socialist views disillusioned Hucknall to the point were he has said he could no longer vote for the party.

'I love UK. Been Labour all my life. Cannot vote for Corbyn, Abbott + McDonnell,' he wrote on the eve of last year's general election.

Hucknall also slammed Mr Corbyn's apparent lack of commitment to the Remain campaign, saying he needed to pick a side and stick to it.

'What a shabby, spineless coward Jeremy Corbyn is proving to be. Either fully commit to #LabourIn OR #LabourLeave or GO! #Brexit,' he wrote in June 2016.