Jeremy Corbyn says mainstream press attacked him relentlessly because he wanted to break up media monopolies and redistribute wealth

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Picture: House of Commons PA Wire/PA Images

Outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says swaths of the mainstream press smeared him because he wanted to dismantle media monopolies and redistribute wealth.

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The Islington North MP says the majority of media reports about him during the election were unfairly negative, and he claims no other party leader was treated as badly.

Mr Corbyn will step down as Labour leader when the winning candidate - either Sir Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey or Lisa Nandy - is announced as his replacement on April 4.

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Reflecting on Labour's heavy losses in the general election in December, Mr Corbyn told the Gazette: "I think some of the media were concerned with the Mac Taggart lecture I gave in Edinburgh two years ago about ending the monopoly ownership of TV [stations] and newspapers.

"But also we were under utterly relentless attack from very powerful forces in Britain because we were proposing an economic strategy of redistribution and they didn't like it.

"I don't mind political criticism, I don't mind challenging on the policies, but there has been a huge degree of personal abuse thrown at me and my family it's not acceptable, it's not done to other parties to the same extent or any extent at all.

"We did our best to reach around that using social media during the election, but I do think we need to have a much more accessible media and I think local papers are very important, such as yours, which report local issues and stories and give a vent to local feelings.

"Over the past four to five years, I want to say a big thank you to my family for their support because they have put up with a lot and the stress and strain on them is huge, it's easy to me because I can reply but others can't. And thank you to the people of Islington North for their support."