Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has apologised for saying IRA members should be "honoured", after receiving a grilling by the audience on Thursday night's Question Time.
In 2003, McDonnell attended a meeting to commemorate Irish republican Bobby Sands and said: "It's about time we started honouring those people involved in the armed struggle. It was the bombs and bullets and sacrifice made by the likes of Bobby Sands that brought Britain to the negotiating table."
He has come under renewed criticism this week since new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appointed him shadow chancellor, and was forced to apologise for his past remarks on the BBC One show, claiming he was just trying to help the peace process in Northern Ireland.
"If I gave offence, and I clearly have, from the bottom of my heart I apologise," said McDonnell.
"I should not have said the issue about the honouring. What I tried to do for both sides is to give them a way out with some form of dignity otherwise they wouldn't lay their arms down.
"I accept it was a mistake to use those words, but actually if it contributed to saving one life or prevented someone else being maimed it was worth doing because we did hold on to the peace protest – there was a real risk of the republican movement splitting and some of them continuing the armed process."
McDonnell also apologised for joking in 2010 that he would like to go back in time and "assassinate Thatcher".
"It was an appalling joke," McDonnell told the Question Time audience. "It's ended my career in stand-up, let's put it that way, and I apologise for it as well."
Although McDonnell was applauded for his apologies, many weren't convinced by it.
Rehearse your "spontaneous" apology all day and make a sincere face with sad eyebrows, and everyone claps like a seal? Jeez.
Some criticised him for appearing to take credit for a large part of the peace process, despite his comments on the IRA coming five years after the Good Friday agreement.
If only there'd been other ppl prepared bravely to engage in peace process. Some govt, maybe. But no, they left it ALL to John McDonnell.
On the #McDonnellFacts hashtag, political photoshopper General Boles joked about the shadow chancellor taking credit for things he had little or no part in.
John McDonnell fixed Apollo 13 #McDonnellFacts #bbcqt
John McDonnell got The Libertines back together (twice) #McDonnellFacts #bbcqt
John McDonnell gave the half-time team talk in Istanbul #McDonnellFacts #bbcqt
However, he was praised by others, including fellow Question Time panellist Sandi Toksvig, for his apologies.
John Mcdonnell making other politicians look pedestrian. Very statesman like #bbcqt