Keith Allen has said former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is “one of the most honest politicians” he has come across.
The actor told the Radio Times that Mr Corbyn has been treated “appallingly” by the media, who he said are “scared” of him.
Mr Corbyn, who stepped down as leader last year, now sits as an independent MP following the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
Allen said: “He was one of the most honest politicians I’ve ever come across.
“I don’t think for one moment that he’s an anti-Semite.
“I think the press has treated him appallingly, and one of the reasons why is because they’re scared of him.”
He added: “I’ve got a lot of mates in the party who would say there was no way that a man with his background could help Labour win that election.
“They may well be right, but I don’t know what the alternative would have been to him.”
The Shallow Grave star, 67, also discussed how his life had been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “It sounds awful and I’ll sound privileged here, but I’m very lucky. I’ve got space. We grew lots of food and did a lot of landscaping round the house.”
– The full interview is in Radio Times magazine, out now.
