John McDonnell

John McDonnell, well-known as Jeremy Corbyn’s longstanding right-hand man, has been the MP for Hayes and Harlington since 1997. Naming “Marx, Lenin and Trotsky” as his most significant influences, and a record of rebelling against New Labour, McDonnell voted against the Iraq War and has long favoured replacing Trident. Within parliament, McDonnell is a member of several All-Party Parliamentary Groups with interests in trade unions. He became shadow chancellor of the exchequer in 2015, and pushed for hard-left policies including the nationalisation of the banking system and a new 60 per cent tax rate for earnings over £100,000. Before entering parliament, McDonnell served on the Greater London Council, becoming the chair of finance. He remains a well-known community activist and was sanctioned in 2009 after picking up the Commons’ mace in protest of Heathrow’s proposed new runway. McDonnell has cited ambitions of “overthrowing capitalism” and, after health problems made him unable to contest the Labour leadership himself, led to his support for Jeremy Corbyn to move the Labour party left of centre. Since Corbyn’s departure, McDonnell has supported Rebecca Long-Bailey’s campaign to continue his political legacy at the top of the party.