It’s Red Rose Day as joker Jeremy has the last laugh
JEREMY Corbyn tore into Theresa May over the Tories’ election disaster as the Commons met for the first time since polling day.
After taking his seat to a standing ovation from his MPs, Mr Corbyn, who was wearing a huge red rose in his lapel, mocked Mrs May, telling her he could offer “strong and stable leadership” if her “coalition of chaos” with the DUP flops.
Then at last night’s meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Mr Corbyn told his MPs he would campaign in 60 Conservative-held marginal seats to push for victory at the next election. Hailing the “remarkable result” which gained Labour 30 seats, he said: “We are now a government in waiting and we must think and act at all times with that in mind.”
Mr Corbyn has endured grillings and open revolt at the weekly summits during his two-year leadership, but got a 45-second standing ovation as he arrived last night.
In a light-hearted atmosphere, peers and backbenchers sang happy birthday to Chief Whip Nick Brown, who had turned 67.
Flanked by Mr Brown and deputy party leader Tom Watson, Mr Corbyn said: “We must remain in permanent campaign mode on a general election footing. We achieved what we did last Thursday because we were a united party during the campaign and we need to maintain that unity and collective discipline.
“I will be out campaigning around the country in Conservative marginals.”
He accused Mrs May, who campaigned promising “strong and stable” government, of being “weak, wobbly and out of control”.
In the Commons, Mrs May joked “at least someone got a landslide” after John Bercow was re-elected Speaker of the House.