Corbyn: We’re ready any time for another general election

AN UPBEAT Jeremy Corbyn vowed to lead Britain out of the EU as he insisted Labour is “ready any time” for another general election.

The Labour leader said his party would “absolutely” ensure Brexit occurs if they secured power, with a focus on negotiating tariff-free access as part of a “jobs-first Brexit”.

Labour won 262 seats in the General Election, up from the 232 secured by Ed Miliband in 2015, but the Conservatives remain the largest party in Parliament.

Mr Corbyn believes that without an outright majority Mrs May’s position is vulnerable and he intends to oppose the Queen’s Speech and table a “substantial amendment” in an attempt to bring down her administration.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Corbyn also said another general election is likely within months.

He said: “I think it’s quite possible there’ll be an election later this year or early next year and that might be a good thing because we cannot go on with a period of great instability.

“We have a programme, we have the support and we are ready to fight another election as soon as may be, because we want to be able to serve the people of this country on the agenda we put forward, which is transformative and has amazing levels of support.”

Mr Corbyn said the party raised millions of pounds from an average donation of £22 per person as he sought to reassure that Labour has funds for another campaign. He added: “We’re ready any time.” Questioned if he is in it for the long term, Mr Corbyn replied: “Look at me – I’ve got youth on my side.”

He added: “This election wasn’t just about Brexit... It was challenging an economic consensus which has impoverished so many people.”

Mr Corbyn also argued that the UK needs something “more responsible” than a Tory-DUP alliance.

Describing Theresa May’s predicament, he said: “She fought the election on the basis she wanted a personal mandate... She said she needed that mandate in order to negotiate Brexit.

“Well, what happened? She lost seats.

“She’s now in a minority Government. She’s relying on the DUP, which barely gives her a majority vote in the House of Commons in order to survive.

“Listen, is it credible that with all gained the issues facing our country, all the issues of inequality and injustice and the Brexit talks and everything else, that you have a Government that cannot actually gain a majority in the House of Commons except by doing a deal with a very socially conservative DUP? Come on, we need something more responsible than that.”

Pledging to put down a “substantial” amendment to the Queen’s Speech, he said: “I think we are ready and quite able to put forward a serious programme which obviously has massive support in this country.”

Describing how the party gained votes, he said: “Young people became engaged. Older people joined in that engagement...

“Something quite historic happened here.”

The Labour leader, who throughout the campaign was attacked for his close relationship with senior Sinn Fein figures, said he does not expect the party’s seven MPs to take their seats in Westminster.

He said: “I fully understand the many, many aspects of Irish history and I find Irish history absolutely fascinating... I don’t see any possibility of Sinn Fein taking their seats.”

He also poured cold water on the prospect of Labour doing deals with other parties, saying: “[I’ve] been asked 100 times the question, have we done deals with anybody? No. “Are we forming a coalition? No. “Will we put our programme to Parliament? Yes...

“That’s why we fought the election. That’s why we had the biggest increase in Labour support at any election since 1945.

“There’s something quite remarkable happened there.”

Challenged on Brexit, Mr Corbyn played down the chances of the UK staying in the Single Market, say-