Jeremy Corbyn mistakes prankster for Stormzy and discusses making a grime video with him

'We need to get the street behind us' says Labour aide before fake grime artist suggests MC name 'Jez Jez'

Jeremy Corbyn has been duped into holding a conversation with a prankster pretending to be the grime artist Stormzy.

The Labour leader discussed making a rap video with the man he believed was the Brit-nominated artist, but who was actually Heydon Prowse, a prankster who works for advertising agency Don’t Panic.

The real Stormzy has previously given his support to Mr Corbyn.

Last month he told The Guardian: “My man, Jeremy! Young Jeremy, my guy. I dig what he says. I saw some sick picture of him from back in the day when he was campaigning about anti-apartheid and I thought: yeah, I like your energy.

“[MPs] have got real issues to talk about and deal with. That’s why I like Jeremy: I feel like he gets what the ethnic minorities are going through and the homeless and the working class.”

During the prank call, Mr Prowse gives his support to Mr Corbyn and proposes they work together on a new music video.

“Jeremy, you’re my boy. I swear down bruv”, the fake Stormzy says.

Mr Corbyn replies: “Thanks ever so much. And thanks for your support. It’s fantastic.”

The prankster then says he wants to get Mr Corbyn “in a video”.

The Labour leader asks: “What is it exactly you’re suggesting?”

The pretend grime artist proposes recording a new version of Stormzy’s hit “Shut Up” that would include the lyrics: “Tony Blair, shut up. Trump, shut up. Owen Smith, shut up. Tom Watson, shut up. PLP, shut up. Majority of Twitter right now, shut up. Electorate, shut up. Pretty much every poll since 2010, shut up.”

There is a long pause before Mr Corbyn responds: “What would it take to make this video?”

Mr Prowse says: “All you’ve gotta come in and say is the ‘shut up’ bruv. I’ve got all sorts of MC’s on there as well like MC No Chance, MC Landslide, MC Total Collapse.”

Perhaps sensing something is not right, a Corbyn aide interrupts to say “OK, we’ll talk that one through” before Mr Corbyn adds: “We want people to become more engaged.”

The aide says: “We need to get the street behind us.”

Fake Stormzy then suggests the Labour leader should adopt an MC name such as "Jez Jez".

A confused Mr Corbyn asks: “What would an MC do? You mean where they take questions and things?

The bizarre recording ends with the fake Stormzy telling the Labour leader he loves him, before Corbyn’s team end the call by claiming the Labour leader has to leave for a meeting.

A spokesperson for the Labour leader said: “Jeremy realised this was a wind-up and ended the call.

“Jeremy is grateful for Stormzy’s support and for the way he has spoken out on mental health, racism, poverty and homelessness.

“It’s unfortunate that Stormzy has been impersonated in this way.”

Mr Prowse and Don’t Panic conducted similar calls with Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and former Education Secretary Michael Gove.

During a phone call, the prankster posed as a television producer and asked Mr Gove if he wanted to star in the next series of Game of Thrones as a character who stabs his friend in the back in order to become king – a reference to Mr Gove’s decision to withdraw his support for Boris Johnson during last summer’s Conservative leadership contest and instead run for the position himself.

Mr Gove replies “It’s very kind of you to think of me” and asks the fake producer to email him further details.