John McDonnell claims he should be the man to take responsibility for Labour's election disaster.

The shadow chancellor, who was reelected as MP for Hayes and Harlington on Thursday night with a reduced though still comfortable majority, has already said he will be stepping down from frontline politics.

And the 68-year old, who has represented the constituency since 1997, has been widely criticised by Labour colleagues as one of the architects of their worst electoral performance since 1935.

"It's on me, let's take it on the chin, I own this disaster so I apologise to all those wonderful Labour MPs who have lost their seats and who worked so hard," Mr McDonnell told the BBC.

However, he added he also blamed the media for 'demonising' close political friend Jeremy Corbyn for 'four years solid, every day'.

Mr McDonnell has made no secret he would like Labour's next leader to be a woman and backed Rebecca Long-Bailey, quickly emerging as a frontrunner, to be a 'brilliant leader'.

He also praised shadow cabinet colleagues Angela Rayner, Dawn Butler and Richard Burgon - all strong Corbyn supporters - but described the more moderate Jess Phillips, another contender, as 'really talented', though applying the caveat he preferred others.

He added it was 'most probably time for a non-metropolitan' candidate and that Labour needed 'a northern voice', having seen vast swathes of their heartland seats in the north of the country wiped out.