I will debate you on austerity any time, any place – McDonnell demands television showdown with chancellor

This is the quote and video published by John McDonnell today in which he challenged Philip Hammond, the chancellor, to a televised election debate.

The Labour Party published its manifesto and we published the detailed costings of all our policy proposals and where the funding would come from to pay for those policies.

We set the framework  for the management of our economy for the future, managing the economy for the many not the few.

Now we want to have a democratic debate in this election. Theresa May is hiding from a debate with Jeremy Corbyn on television, but you know in France they had that debate between the two main contenders for the presidency and it’s part of our democratic system.

So come on Mr Hammond, come and have a debate with me because I believe once we’ve had that debate people will realise just what your government is all about.

More austerity stifling our economy, failing to ensure that people in work are properly paid and undermining those people who can’t work as a result of your benefit cuts.

I’m challenging Philip Hammond to a debate on Tory cuts and on the economic strategy that Labour has set out for strong economy that benefits the many and not few.

Today Philip Hammond got cost of HS2 wrong & his Budget has a £2bn black hole in it. Britain deserves to see us debate future of our economy pic.twitter.com/WCiYA3fr2k

— John McDonnell (@johnmcdonnellMP) May 17, 2017