He's questioned on the defence review, which he says will look at the "role" of the nuclear deterrent, before adding: "It's there in the manifesto, it's going ahead."

The conversation moves onto Trident, another controversial issue for Mr Corbyn, who is a committed and longstanding anti-nuclear campaigner.

Mr Corbyn is pressed on where he stands on the Trident deterrent and the credibility of Labour's support for its renewal under his leadership.

That's what the Labour conference and Parliament have decided to do, says Mr Corbyn.

He goes on to pledge a security review to look at issues such as cyber-security as well as the issues which have "come to the front" since the Manchester attack.

On Trident renewal he wanted to go in a "different direction" but respects the decision everyone had taken.

Doyou support the renewal of Trident, Mr Corbyn is asked directly and repeatedly.

"It's there in the manifesto," he says, "It's the position the party will take into government."

Brian Wheeler

One thing Jeremy Corbyn has in common with Theresa May is that they both refer to Libya as an "ungoverned space" rather than a country.

The questioning moves onto Nato.

"You've called it a Frankenstein of an organisation, a danger to world peace. "Do you still believe it should be wound up?" asks Andrew Neil.

Mr Corbyn begins speaking about the treaty's origins in the Cold War, before saying at the point the Berlin Wall came down he had thought maybe it was time for the Organisation of Security and Cooperation Across Europe to take over.

"Sadly that didn't happen."

Now it seems, he's had a change of heart, or has he?

"I want to work within Nato to achieve stability, I want to work within Nato to achieve human rights and stability."

As Mr Neil presses the point, there is a little flashpoint. Does he still think it's a Frankenstein organisation?

"I will be a committed member of that alliance in order to promote peace, justice, human rights and democracy."

Now he's being tackled on his voting record in the Commons and his lack of Parliamentary support for giving agencies extra powers to deal with terrorism, which he opposed 56 times.

On the anti-terrorism legislation which came before Parliament he voted to ensure there was legal oversight of "our police and our security services", he says.

"The best defence against any attack on democracy is to protect the independence of a judicial process away from a political process," he adds.

The Labour leader pays tribute to former Northern Ireland secretary, the late Mo Mowlam, saying we should recognise her "achievement" in bringing those groups together.

We certainly will, says Mr Neil, before adding it's his job to ask about Mr Corbyn's own role.

He quotes former IRA leader Sean O'Callaghan, who claimed Mr Corbyn had played no part in promoting peace, and indeed Mr Corbyn had sought victory for the IRA.

The Labour leader is dismissive. He's never had a discussion with Sean O'Callaghan and has no idea why he would say that.

"My role was supporting a process that would bring about a dialogue."

Isn't it basically that you did support the armed struggle for a united Ireland, but now that you want to be prime minister you have to distance yourself from it?

"No." The answer's vehement.

He wants peace and he doesn't want to see the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, post-Brexit.

You invited convicted IRA terrorists to tea in the Commons a few weeks after the 1984 Brighton bomb - which tried to destroy our elected government - says Andrew Neil.

He continues to list a curriculum vitae of incidents apparently showing Mr Corbyn's support for the IRA over the years.

"I always wanted, and always do want, peace," is the response.

Did he urge these hardline republicans to put down the bombs?

"I never met the IRA, I obviously did meet people from Sinn Fein, as indeed I met people from other organisations."

Now, we're on to Mr Corbyn's past history with the republican movement in Northern Ireland.

His campaigning during the Troubles has come under renewed scrutiny since his election as Labour leader.

He and shadow chancellor John McDonnell have been prominent supporters of Sinn Féin; before the IRA ceasefire they controversially met the party on a number of occasions in Westminster during the 1990s.

Why would the British people want a leader who for years supported the IRA, Mr Neil asks him.

"I didn't support the IRA," replies an unequivocal Mr Corbyn, "what I want everywhere is a peace process, what I want everywhere is decency and human rights".

He says Northern Ireland is a "bit of a model" around the world for bringing communities together.

"Where the two big divides - the nationalist tradition and the unionist tradition - came together on the basis of recognising the different tradition each had."

Mr Corbyn's speech this morning has been rounded on by opponents for its timing, coming in the same week as the Manchester attacks.

He addresses his critics, saying he intended it to be a "thoughtful contribution" to how "we deal with these things".

I think quite a lot of the public would "not disagree", he adds.

Surely any sensible person would look at the source of the attacks, continues Mr Corbyn.

What about the Yazidi women? What was their foreign policy asks Andrew Neil, as Mr Corbyn carries on.

Now they're talking over each other, before the Yazidi question rules the day.

"Andrew, I'm not defending any of it", answers the Labour leader.

"Would you talk to Isis? Mr Corbyn is now asked. "No I wouldn't," is the answer.

Isis doesn't come from nowhere, Isis has a whole load of connections, supplying arms, financial or otherwise, which need to be "robustly" traced, he adds.

You also need to look at Libya: "Otherwise you have a problem that is not going to go away."

Mr Neil pushes the point again: "But they're targeting young girls at a pop concert because they hate our values."

In response, My Corbyn is animated. "I agree they hate those liberal values, they hate the idea of women being able to enjoy themselves and all the liberal values, and that was the whole point of my speech this morning.

"We have got to defend our liberal values."

Andrew Neil quotes so-called Islamic State back at Mr Corbyn, which cites foreign policy as a secondary motivation to its hating Western values.

So what's the link with foreign policy?

Mr Corbyn says his views are backed by many, including the Commons foreign affairs select committee.

You have the consequences of our interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, says the Labour leader, leaving large numbers of ungoverned spaces, leaving people in desperate circumstances "who may themselves become prey to that form of perversion".

And it's straight into the big subject of the week.

Andrew Neil asks the Labour leader: "Do you believe if Britain had not followed the foreign policy it has since Tony Blair was in office, the attack on Manchester would not have happened?"

The attack on Manchester was indefensible, replies Mr Corbyn.

He was drawing a parallel which a number of people had since the invasion of Afghanistan - including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and two heads of MI5 - that to keep the country safe "any sensible government has to look at what is happening in Libya".

Was Manchester a consequence of our foreign policy?

"Manchester was the consequence of one person," he replies.

Andrew Neil will be questioning Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn shortly on BBC One.

The preparations are under way for the second of his one-to-one encounters with the party leaders. Read all about the interview here.