JEREMY CORBYN HAS said that he will not lead Labour in its next general election campaign after the party had its worst result since 1935.
Speaking after his re-election as MP for Islington North at 3.25am this morning, Corbyn said he will stay on until a new leader has been found.
“I want to make it clear that I will not lead the party in any future general election campaign,” he told the gathered audience.
He said that he will work with the party during the transition period.
“I will discuss with our party to ensure there is a process now of reflection on this result and on the policies that the party will take going forward. And I will lead the party during that period to ensure that discussion takes place and we move on into the future.”
Labour did far worse than expected in the election, with the Conservatives set to secure the party’s biggest victory since Margaret Thatcher’s government in 1987.
Corbyn said it had been a “very disappointing” night for the party, and that Brexit had “overridden so much of a normal political debate”.
“Brexit has so polarised and divided debate within this country… I recognise that it has contributed to the results that the Labour party has received this evening all across this country.”
He also used his speech to attack the media for attacks against the families of politicians, calling them “disgraceful and frankly disgusting”.
Corbyn has been leader of Labour since 2015. He transformed Labour’s identity from a party of pragmatism to one in favour of radical change as he rode a wave of anti-austerity resentment.
However his support among grassroots supporters was not matched in the wider electorate, or indeed in parts of the Labour party.
Labour’s Brexit stance, in particular, was widely seen as ambiguous, particularly in the face of strong messages from the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.
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