Labour's John McDonnell has urged the Commons Speaker to intervene after waves of backbenchers were seen glued to their phones during the Budget debate.

Many of the party's MPs were seen tapping away during the statement and the response that followed from their leader Jeremy Corbyn.

But the shadow chancellor said, while it was now common practice to tweet during big debates, it was "discourteous".

READ MORE: Budget 2017: Chancellor Philip Hammond's jokes prove hit in House of Commons

He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I don't think it is appropriate but it happens right the way across the parties. They are all tweeting away.

"Actually what they are doing and I can understand why they are doing it, they are listening to the debate and they are having their own running commentary.

"My view is you concentrate on the debate, you make your comment afterwards."

Mr McDonnell laughed when it was suggested party whips should get involved to stop MPs tweeting from the chamber.

"I think it is something the Speaker might want to comment on because actually I think it is discourteous," he added.

Mr McDonnell also criticised Chancellor Philip Hammond for making a series of jokes at Labour's expense during the Budget.

"If you are going to do jokes, fair enough, but a whole series of jokes, some of them were quite nasty and personal, I didn't like it.

READ MORE: Budget 2017: Chancellor Philip Hammond's jokes prove hit in House of Commons

"I thought it was distasteful. I think a number of MPs on all sides thought that," he said.

"Nevertheless, that's their style and that's the way they behaved. I thought it was inappropriate."