INTERVIEW-Labour's McDonnell promises nationalisation under a minority government

Britain's Labour Party would seek to implement its radical manifesto, including nationalization, if it forms a minority government after Thursday's election, the party's would-be finance minister John McDonnell said on Monday. "If we are a minority government we'll implement our program," McDonnell told Reuters.

"I just warn the other political parties, we'll implement a program that has overwhelming popular support. If they want to press for a second election, we're happy to have that." Britain votes on Thursday in an election which will decide the fate of Brexit and the world's fifth-largest economy with a stark choice between Prime minister Boris Johnson's pro-market Conservatives and the socialist-led opposition Labour Party.

Johnson is forecast to win a majority at the election, but margins are tight and he could fall short of the 320-326 seats he needs. In that case, Labour could get a shot at forming their own government propped up by smaller parties. McDonnell said a Labour minority government would set out its manifesto plans - including nationalization, public sector pay increases and investment in health and education - in a Queen's Speech and budget shortly after taking office.

He dared other parties to vote against them, and force another national election. "If parties want to vote against those, well we'll go back to the people and I think those parties would be shredded," he said.