Jeremy Corbyn's official Christmas card based on seven-year-old stock image

Labour leader's festive card shows wintry scene available on Getty Images from February 2009 - when heavy snows brought transport system to a halt

By Ben Riley Smith and Ben Rileysmith 14 December 2015 • 3:01pm

Jeremy Corbyn’s official Christmas card is based on a stock image of heavy snow that caused transport chaos almost seven years ago.

The Labour leader’s card was released by his office on Monday and shows a bicycle and telephone box covered in deep snow.

A quick search of stock image resources found it was taken back on 2 February 2009 when heavy snow disrupted the country’s transport system.

A caption for the photo on Getty Images reads: “Bikes are covered in snow outside Queensway Tube Station on February 2, 2009 in London, England.

Bikes are covered in snow outide Queensway Tube Station on February 2, 2009 in London, England.The United Kingdom has suffered its heaviest snowfall since the 1990's. The heavy snow has disrupted many parts of the London transport network, and hundreds of school have been forced to close.

Stock image of heavy snow from 2009

“The United Kingdom has suffered its heaviest snowfall since the 1990's. The heavy snow has disrupted many parts of the London transport network, and hundreds of school have been forced to close.”

At the time parts of Britain were hit by the heaviest snowfall for 18 years that forced around 3,000 schools to close and kept an estimated one in five people at home from work.

The snow left thousands of people stranded in London as bus lines were forced to close and Underground lines were suspended.

Both of Heathrow Airport’s runways were shut while London City, Luton and Southampton airports also had to close due to the snow.

Mr Corbyn also broke with tradition of party leaders by not selecting a photo of himself or his family for the Christmas card.

David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have tended to choose a family photograph for their festive cards in recent years.

The Prime Mininster's office released his own card last week showing Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha outside Number 10.

The PM's Christmas card – David and Samantha Cameron return to 10 Downing Street following the 2015 general election pic.twitter.com/jc8I2JpPtq
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) December 11, 2015

Mr Corbyn's choice of a bicycle is a nod to his love of cycling, with the Labour leader continuing to cycle to Westminster from his Islington constituency every day.