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Jeremy Corbyn Virgin Trains Media

Guardian investigation concludes it got Jeremy Corbyn 'traingate' story wrong

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By Tony Connelly, Sports Marketing Reporter

October 8, 2016 | 2 min read

The Guardian has admitted that its story about Jeremy Corbyn’s ride on a “ram-packed” train in which he could not get a seat was inaccurate and was based on a “gonzo news release” by two of the Labour leader’s supporters.

Corbyn

Corbyn

An internal inquiry by the newspaper found that the initial account was written by a “passionate” supporter of Corbyn's under a false name and was based on video footage from a cameraman paid by the Labour leader’s campaign.

The Guardian's newspaper’s global readers’ editor Paul Chadwick admitted that Corbyn's assertion that he was left sitting on the floor for three hours was not checked sufficiently before publication or corrected promptly enough when proved to be wrong.

Chadwick added that while the newspaper never intended to mislead readers “that was the effect for some time”. He also pointed out that the reporter who rewrote the article did not include the claim that Corbyn was eventually given a seat halfway through the journey.

Following the initial story Virgin Trains later released security camera footage showing Corbyn and his entourage walking past numerous empty seats.

Jeremy Corbyn Virgin Trains Media

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