Corbyn sidesteps questions over postelection deals after Labour recovery

Jeremy Corbyn has left the door open to a potential deal with other parties in order to secure the premiership after the general election.

The Labour leader has ruled out forming a coalition with the SNP but after Yougov modelling suggested the June 8 poll could result in no party gaining an overall majority, Mr Corbyn sidestepped questions about looser arrangements which could see him take the keys to Number 10.

Mr Corbyn insisted he was “doing no deals, no coalitions” and was

“fighting to win this election”.

But pressed on whether he would strike a deal once the results came in, he told ITV News: “You’d better ask me on June 9.”

Mr Corbyn was earlier challenged about whether he would be open to a “confidence and supply” arrangement with the SNP, which would see Nicola Sturgeon’s party offer limited support to a Labour government.

Such a deal could see the SNP backing a minority Labour government in House of Commons votes on motions of confidence and the budget.

Conservative Party chairman Sir Patrick Mcloughlin said: “Jeremy Corbyn has made clear that he will do a deal in order to get the keys to Downing Street.

“Corbyn propped up by the Lib Dems and the SNP in a coalition of chaos would be a disaster for Britain and would mean a bad Brexit deal, higher taxes, more borrowing and weaker defences.

“If you don’t think Jeremy Corbyn is fit to be Prime Minister, if you don’t think he’s up to negotiating Brexit, if you oppose a second referendum - vote for Theresa May and her Conservative team.”

The results of Yougov’s model, published in The Times, suggested that the Tories could secure 310 seats, down from the 330 Mrs May went into the election campaign with, and 16 short of an overall majority. According to the model Labour would get 257 seats, up from 229. But a poll by Kantar put the Conservative party on 43 per cent (+1) ahead of Labour on 33 per cent (-1), the Lib Dems on 11 per cent (+2) and Ukip unchanged on 4 per cent.

The Press Association’s poll of polls, which is a sevenday rolling average of all published polls, puts the Conservatives on 44 per cent and the Labour party on 35 per cent.