PAUL Nuttall blundered when he attacked Labour's leaked manifesto, telling reporters Jeremy Corbyn would have "surrendered...the Falkland Islands to Australia".

A colleague of the Ukip leader quickly informed the MEP of his error, resulting in a swift correction to Argentina in place of Britain's traditional ally.

Mr Nuttall made the remark as he criticised the policies contained within the leak of Labour's draft General Election manifesto, saying they showed Labour was wanting to "raise the red flag" and "surrender" to Brussels.

Some 255 British service personnel died in the successful defence of the Falkland Islands following an attack and occupation by Argentina, which calls the archipelago Las Malvinas. The 1982 war also claimed the lives of 649 Argentinians.

Mr Nuttall, speaking in Westminster as he launched Ukip's fisheries policy, said of the manifesto leak: "This is proof that Jeremy Corbyn's Labour wants to take us back to the 1970s. It's also clear they want to raise the red flag. It's as if they never learn.

"It's 1983's longest suicide note in history all over again and although it's clear in this manifesto that he is intent on running up the red flag, it's also obvious he wants to run up the white flag.

"We all know that he would have surrendered Northern Ireland to the IRA back in the 1980s. We all know that he would have surrendered Gibraltar to the Spanish, and indeed the Falkands to Australia."

Patrick O'Flynn, the Ukip MEP, sitting in the front row, quickly interjected: "Argentina."

Mr Nuttall, realising his mistake, corrected himself and said: "To Argentina.