Jeremy Corbyn doesn't condemn Southern strikes after unions gave him £35,000

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Corbyn was given £25,000 by Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT)
Aslef donated another £10,000 to his Labour leadership campaign this summer
Labour leader has repeatedly refused to condemn strikes crippling rail network

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

Published: 07:54 EST, 13 December 2016 | Updated: 09:57 EST, 13 December 2016

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Jeremy Corbyn was handed £35,000 towards his Labour leadership re-election campaign by the unions behind the Southern Rail strike.

The veteran left-winger declared £25,000 from the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) and another £10,000 from Aslef over the summer.

The bodies have also given large sums to the wider Labour Party.

Jeremy Corbyn (centre) was pictured at the Aslef Christmas party with union president Tosh McDonald (right) and RMT member Dave Wallis, cousin of the late RMT chief Bob Crow

Mr Corbyn, who it emerged today attended the Aslef Christmas party last week with union president Tosh McDonald, has repeatedly refused to condemn the rail strikes.

Instead he has accused the government and rail operators of mismanagement and provoking disputes. The Labour leader has called for the network to be renationalised over time.

Asked for the leader's view on the industrial action today, a spokesman merely pointed to a statement from shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald saying: “To attempt to pin the blame for Southern’s miserable service on trade unions rather than the incompetence of management and government ministers is an insult to long suffering passengers.'

Mr Corbyn was notoriously embroiled in 'Traingate' when he was filmed sitting on the floor of a Virgin service complaining about overcrowding.

It later emerged that he had walked past empty seats before sprawling in a corridor for the PR video.

Chris Grayling refused to rule out tougher strike laws today as walkouts crippled train services for hundreds of thousands of commuters.

The Transport Secretary dismissed claims the industrial action on Southern Rail is about safety - and said drivers and conductors had refused invitations to hold talks.

He also hinted that Southern could be stripped of its franchise after years of poor performance.

Mr Corbyn was notoriously embroiled in 'Traingate' when he was filmed sitting on the floor of a Virgin service complaining about overcrowding

It later emerged that he had walked past empty seats before sprawling in a corridor for the PR video to be shot

Desperate passengers have been left stranded with no services running into London from much of the south.

The three-day walkout follows months of chronic disruption that has resulted in people losing jobs and at least one cancer patient struggling to reach hospital for treatment.

Usually crowded stations across London and the south of England were eerily quiet this morning as customers were advised there would be no services on any Southern lines.

A usually crowded Brighton station was empty this morning as thousands of rail passengers heeded a warning by Southern Rail to stay at home amid three days of strike action