Jeremy Corbyn struggles with childcare costing figures in interview

Labour leader endures grilling on ‘Woman’s Hour’

Corbyn’s plans for childcare would cost £5.3bn a year, according to Labour’s manifesto (PA)

Jeremy Corbyn struggled to say how much his flagship childcare policy would cost in a difficult radio interview.

The Labour leader appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour as part of the launch of his party’s new policy of providing 30 hours of universal free childcare each week for all pre-school children.

The party’s whole childcare policy, which Labour says would benefit 1.3 million people, would cost £5.3bn a year, according to the party’s costings document.

Mr Corbyn however struggled to come up with the figure during the interview, and was accused of looking at his iPad by the programme’s presenter.

“It would obviously cost a lot to do so, we accept that. The point I’m trying to make is that we’re making it universal so we’re in a position where every child gets it,” he said, before asking to move on.

He insisted that he wanted “to give an accurate figure”, but he ultimately did not produce one.

Currently in England, all three to four-year-olds are eligible for 570 hours of childcare or early education per year – which equates to around 15 hours a week for 38 weeks.

Some two-year-olds can get free childcare too. The Government has also offered to provide 30 hours of free childcare to working families meeting certain earnings thresholds from September this year.

Labour has produced full costings for its manifesto, while the Conservatives have provided none.

Additional reporting by PA