Jeremy Corbyn defied warnings from northern Labour councillors today by rejecting calls for imposing controls on immigration after Brexit.

He repeated his support for the EU's free movement rules despite voters expressing clear concerns in June's Brexit vote.

The Labour leader insisted immigration brought net economic benefits to Britain and claimed there was a 'level of exaggeration' about its negative impact.

Jeremy Corbyn defied warnings from northern Labour councillors today by rejecting calls for imposing controls on immigration after Brexit

He insisted that rather than setting targets to reduce immigration the Government should tackle undercutting of pay and conditions in the workplace, saying Britain must not become a 'bargain basement economy'.

But his comments flew in the face of warnings from his party's councillors in northern England who are under threat from a resurgent Ukip under its new Liverpudlian leader Paul Nuttall.

He is targeting traditional Labour voters in the north by supporting strict immigration controls and a 'hard' Brexit that would end the EU's free movement rules.

Mr Corbyn told the Guardian today: 'We should recognise that European workers in Britain do contribute massively to the health service, education, manufacturing industry, care work, agricultural sector.

'We'd be in quite a difficult place if they all went.

'We have to recognise that people do move around the continent, do move to work, do move to pay taxes and to benefit the economy that they come into.

'They don't have unfettered access to benefits the day they arrive in Britain, they don't have unfettered access to housing the day they arrive.'

New Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, pictured, is targeting traditional Labour voters in the north by supporting strict immigration controls and a 'hard' Brexit that would end the EU's free movement rules

He added: 'What we need to address is exploitation, undercutting and the way in which companies are trying to destroy industrial agreements by ignoring what they should be doing, which is paying people properly and not bringing people in to undercut.'

But in interviews with the Financial Times more than two dozen Labour councillors warned that Labour is heading for disaster at the next general election if Mr Corbyn refuses to back down on his enthusiastic support for immigration.

CORBYN INSISTS HE'LL STILL BE FIT ENOUGH TO BE LEADER IN 2020 Jeremy Corbyn, a keen cyclist, insisted he is still 'fit' to be Labour leader beyond 2020 Jeremy Corbyn, 67, dismissed reports that he told friends he is ready to step down as Labour leader in 2019 because of his age. He is set to have a makeover in the New Year to tap into the populist anti-establishment sentiment sweeping through politics. Asked whether he had expressed a desire to retire in a couple of years' time, the veteran left-winger said: 'Friends is obviously a very loose term these days - I've never said that. 'I'm very happy doing my campaigning. 'This is the age of the 60s - look at Trump, Clinton, Sanders, Angela Merkel - look around you. Sixties is the new 40s, I keep fit,' the keen cyclist added. Advertisement

Kathy Graham, a Labour councillor, told the newspaper: 'A lot of locals aren't going to vote for me because of Jeremy Corbyn. Mention Jeremy Corbyn and they all go mad.'

Even Labour councillors in the south said he was facing major problems with voters due to Mr Corbyn backing free movement when the public had rejected it in June's EU referendum.

Peter Chand, a councillor in Dagenham and Rainham east of London, said: 'The feeling on the doorstep is mainly about migration.'

He called on the leadership to back 'some kind of cap' to ease voters' concerns.

Responding to the Labour councillors' criticism of Mr Corbyn, Tory MP Luke Hall said: 'Labour have descended into open war over immigration, and the one thing that's certain is that the Labour leadership is completely out of touch with ordinary working people.

'The British people voted to leave the European Union and for controls over immigration.

'Only the Conservatives can make a success of Brexit and build a country that works for everyone.'

Mr Corbyn, 67, is set to have a makeover in the New Year to tap into the populist anti-establishment sentiment sweeping through politics.

And in the interview today he dismissed reports he has told friends he is ready to step down as Labour leader in 2019 because of his age.

'Friends is obviously a very loose term these days - I've never said that. I'm very happy doing my campaigning,' he said.

'This is the age of the 60s - look at Trump, Clinton, Sanders, Angela Merkel - look around you. Sixties is the new 40s, I keep fit,' the keen cyclist added.

Mr Corbyn also hit out at Theresa May today over her refusal to give Parliament a final say over Brexit and even compared her to King Henry VIII.

He said it would be 'extraordinary' if the Prime Minister used the royal prerogative to bypass British MPs on the final Brexit deal she strikes with Brussels while parliaments in other European countries got to vote on the package.

The Labour leader compared Mrs May's behaviour to the autocratic 16th century Tudor monarch in a newspaper interview today following a two-hour grilling before MPs last week in which she repeatedly refused to a parliamentary vote.

The PM is facing growing pressure to put the final deal to Parliament when the eventual deal is agreed in early 2019.

Jeremy Corbyn has accused Theresa May, pictured left attending a Christmas church service in her Maidenhead constituency, of acting like Henry VIII, the autocratic 16th century Tudor monarch, right, by refusing to give Parliament a final say on Brexit

The PM has only made a vague commitment to show MPs her plan for Brexit before she triggers Article 50, the formal mechanism for leaving the EU, by the end of March.

She fears that holding a vote in Parliament after two years of negotiations could put June's Brexit vote in jeopardy and would give MPs the power to block it.

Mr Corbyn said: 'It [a final Brexit deal] would have to come to Parliament.

'She cannot hide behind Henry VIII and the divine rights of the power of kings on this one.'

He added: 'The idea that on something as major as this the Prime Minister would use the royal prerogative to bypass Parliament is extraordinary - I don't know where she's coming from.'

Other similarities have been drawn between Mrs May and King Henry VIII over his disagreement with the Pope that led to separating the Church of England from the Roman Catholic church.

He subsequently appointed himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England – power Mrs May could only dream of.