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Crowds flocked to Southport to see Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn this evening.

Thousands gathered at the beach-side rally, which rounded a day of campaigning in the north west, to hear what he had to say about the future of his party.

Mr Corbyn thanked activists and volunteers for their work in supporting the cause across the north west, and acknowledged the work of trade unions across the country.

Speaking to supporters, he was also critical of the cuts to public services.

He also thanked Labour candidate Liz Savage for quadrupling the party’s Southport vote since 2010.

He then said it was Labour’s “responsibility to offer an alternative to the arid economic nonsense that the Tories and the Lib Dems practised since 2010.”

“If we want to live in a world of peace and a world of justice and human rights, that means a government that believes in peace, justice, human rights, environmental sustainability and the people it represents.

(Image: Not Trinity Mirror)

“I don’t want to live in foodbank Britain.

“I don’t want to live in a Britain where you future is decided by the postcode where you were born or the wealth or your parents.

“I want to live in a country that values everyone and gives every young person a decent chance and a decent start in life and promotes unity of communities not division”, he told the crowd.

Jeremy was introduced at the rally, by Liverpool City Region metro mayor Steve Rotheram , who spoke of the region’s “unparalleled passion for politics”

(Image: Not Trinity Mirror)

The Conservatives claimed victory in Southport at the recent General Election after 20 years of Liberal Democrat rule.

Southport has traditionally seen many Labour voters back the Lib Dems in a bid to stop the Conservatives gaining power, but this time there was much agonising over whether Liz Savage (Labour) or Sue McGuire (Lib Dem) was the best candidate to vote for.

In a result that shocked many, Labour came in second place with 15,627 votes and a 13% increase for Parliamentary candidate Liz Savage.

Liberal Democrat candidate Sue McGuire came in third with 12,661 votes and an almost 5% drop in the vote share for her party.

Putting those results into context - more people voted for second place Labour candidate Liz Savage than for former MP John Pugh in the 2015 General Election.

(Image: Not Trinity Mirror)

JC told the Liverpool Echo the Southport seat is a “hugely realistic” target for the Labour party and that the town would be regenerated under a Labour government.

He said: “[A Labour government] would see investment across the whole north west, through a national investment bank, and a network of regional banks, and that would make decisions to improve rail connections and, above all, development of sustainable jobs in new industries.

“What we need is more high-skilled jobs across the whole region.”