I’ll be voted in as Britain’s next prime minister, Corbyn insists

and JEREMY CORBYN has claimed that he is on course to be Britain’s next prime minister.

The Labour leader, who has lost the support of most of his own MPs, argued that the power of his party’s 500,000strong membership can deliver victory in the next general election in 2020.

His defiant prediction comes despite polls giving the Tories a 14-point lead over Labour, with 42 per cent to Mr Corbyn’s party’s 28 per cent.

Mr Corbyn is at the centre of a bitter leadership contest after refusing to resign despite a mutiny by his own MPs following the EU referendum.

Speaking at a rally for his re-election campaign, he said Labour’s largest grass-roots membership base in decades would help the party be “at the heart of every community and win the next general election”.

In an attempt to reassure the 130,000 members excluded from voting in the leadership contest after a Court of Appeal ruling on Friday, Mr Corbyn said supporters would be “a major part of our plan for government”.

He spoke as it emerged that he plans to put radical Left-wingers in charge of the honours system if he ever wins power.

Hard-Left activists will help choose who gets honours under shake-up of the system.

A “confidential” proposal drawn up by his office and leaked to

shows he wants to take decisions about gongs “out of Westminstercontrolled patronage”. For the first a radical time, local branches of the party – which deputy leader Tom Watson warned this week were being infiltrated by “Trotsky entryists” – will be allowed to put forward names.

The historic change could trigger a new wave of trade union bosses and socialist campaigners being handed knighthoods, CBEs, OBEs and MBEs.

Unlike much Labour policy, which is not binding, the change would have an immediate impact as the leader can directly submit names for honours.

Only in exceptional circumstances are Labour nominees not approved.

The reform is the most eye-catching in an ambitious proposal written by the Labour leader’s office about how to reform the honours system.

Mr Corbyn also wants to see equal numbers of men and women put forward, as well as diverse ethnicities.

David Cameron was accused of “cronyism” for handing honours and peerages to 61 supporters in a resignation honours list.