The Bucks grace-and-favour country home which is traditionally offered to chancellors of the exchequer could be opened up to the public if Labour wins the general election, John McDonnell has said.

According to The Guardian, the shadow chancellor and parliamentary candidate for Hayes and Harlington was asked if he would occupy the 18th century mansion Dorneywood and he responded: “No, why would I go there? We’ll open it up to the general public.”

Dorneywood is near Burnham and Farnham Common and was given to the National Trust by Lord Courtauld-Thomson in 1947 as a grace-and-favour country home for a senior member of the government, usually a secretary of state or minister of the crown.

It is the prime minister who decides which senior minister can use Dorneywood.

According to The Guardian, Mr McDonnell also suggested that Jeremy Corbyn would steer clear of using the prime minister’s country residence Chequers, which is near the Bucks village of Ellesborough.

The Grade I-listed Chequers has been the country home of the Prime Minister since 1921.