Theresa May has revealed she has a portrait of Sir Winston Churchill hanging in her study in Downing Street, following the furore over John McDonnell’s claim that the wartime leader was a “villain”.

Wading into the row, the prime minister’s spokesman said Ms May has acknowledged Sir Winston as of one of the great British leaders of the 20th century.

It comes amid a backlash against the accusation made by the shadow chancellor, who justified his words on grounds that Sir Winston played a role in sending in troops to tackle striking miners in the South Wales town of Tonypandy in 1910.

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Asked about Mr McDonnell’s words, Ms May’s spokesman said: “The British people will reach its own judgement on the characterisation of Sir Winston Churchill.

“I note that in 2002 he came first in a public poll of the 100 greatest Britons. The prime minister has quoted and referenced Sir Winston Churchill on many occasion and acknowledged him as one of the great prime ministers of the 20th century.”

Revealing that the wartime PM’s portrait was the only one hanging in her office, he added: “His strong leadership determination and unwavering personality inspired our country through our darkest hour and helped Britain protect those values of peace and freedom that we hold so dear today.”

Prime ministers and ministers can chose which pieces of art they have in their offices from the government collection, with Ms May also having some landscape pictures in her rooms in addition to the Churchill portrait.

Mr McDonnell made his comment in response to a sequence of quick-fire questions in an interview with Politico streamed live on the internet, with his words leading to an immediate backlash.

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Writing on Twitter, Boris Johnson – author of a book on the wartime leader – said: “Winston Churchill saved this country and the whole of Europe from a barbaric fascist and racist tyranny and our debt to him is incalculable.

“If John McDonnell had the slightest knowledge of history he would be aware that Churchill also had an extraordinary record as a social reformer who cared deeply for working people and their lives. JM should be utterly ashamed of his remarks and withdraw them forthwith.”

Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames, grandson of the former Conservative prime minister, said: “Frankly, it’s a very foolish and stupid thing to say, surely said to gain publicity.

“I think my grandfather’s reputation can withstand a publicity-seeking assault from a third-rate, Poundland Lenin. I don’t think it will shake the world.”

Labour MP Ian Austin also voiced his disagreement by posting a picture on social media of a figurine of the wartime leader he keeps at home.

Darkest Hour tralier sees Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill

Mr Austin said: “Look who takes pride of place on my mantelpiece in Dudley: A real British hero, the greatest ever Briton, the man who motivated Britain to defeat the Nazis and fight not just for our liberty but the world’s freedom too.”

Even the ex-prime minister that Mr MCDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn admire most, Clement Atlee, said after Sir Winston’s death: “We have lost the greatest Englishman of our time – I think the greatest citizen of the world of our time.

“In the course of a long, long life, he has played many parts. We may all be proud to have lived with him and, above all, to have worked with him; and we shall all send to his widow and family our sympathy in their great loss.”

When asked in the interview whether he thinks of Sir Winston as a hero or villain, Mr McDonnell answered with two words: “Tonypandy, villain”.

His response made clear that he held the former PM to blame for sending in troops to deal with striking miners in Tonypandy when home secretary at the start of the 20th century.

His decision to deploy a detachment of Lancashire Fusiliers to support police dealing with riots was followed by confrontations in which nearly 80 police and 500 civilians were injured and one miner died. His responsibility for the events is a matter of fierce historical debate.

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