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JEREMY Corbyn has warned Nicola Sturgeon he will not fall into the “trap” of allowing the SNP to be the frontline party challenging the Tory austerity agenda.

In his first Scottish interview as leader of the Labour Party, he said he backed the mantle of social justice on which the SNP rode to victory in the general election.

Corbyn added: “My message to Record readers – and thanks to the Record for endorsing me in this election campaign – is that Labour are going to be campaigning in every part of Scotland.

“We’re going to be campaigning on issues of social justice and poverty and on opportunities for people.

“We have a Tory Government who are underfunding local government across the UK and are putting through Draconian welfare reforms and Draconian trade union reforms.

“We’re going to fight them all the way.”

Corbyn said he was overwhelmed after winning 59.5 per cent of the 422, 664 votes cast in the contest.

The Result Labour Leadership Contest

He vowed that a transformed Labour Party would re-engage with the Scottish electorate, adding: “The strength of support is amazing.

“I am very grateful to all those who voted. We are now the biggest party in Britain.”

Minutes after his victory on Saturday, Corbyn – who started the race as a rank outsider – said he would be visiting Scotland often to revive the party’s fortunes.

He said: “You will be seeing a lot of me.”

Corbyn did not rule out working with the SNP. But he said he would sidestep any nationalist trap that would allow Sturgeon to present co-operation as a reason for Scottish voters only to support the SNP in Westminster elections.

He stressed that Labour would be taking the lead in the Commons in opposing the Welfare Bill.

Corbyn said: “We are the Labour Party and it is we who will be opposing the Welfare Reform Bill.”

First Minister Sturgeon congratulated Corbyn on his victory, with a call for co-operation on voting against Tory welfare reforms and the renewal of Trident.

(Image: PA)

The Labour leader said: “I am very against Trident and there is to be a debate in the party about that. But walking into traps, that I do not do.”

Corbyn signalled that on Trident and other issues, party policy would be opened up to members.

He added: “Party policy will have to change on Trident. I am against its renewal, but that has to be debated in the party and that process of change has to be come through the party and the trade union movement.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “People are calling for radical change and straight talk. Jeremy’s election shows that the party have listened to that call.

“I have already said that I want people to take another look at the Labour Party. I hope that those who were lost to us in the past will start to listen again as both Jeremy and I put forward radical policies.”

Corbyn also put the SNP on notice that he would be taking them on.

He said: “Nicola Sturgeon has to question her own privatisation agenda. The privatisation of CalMac is still set to go ahead, the loss of college places is still going ahead. These and other issues will all come up in campaigns in Scotland and, of course, in the election campaign next year.”

Corbyn drew parallels with his landslide victory and the nationalist surge that led to a huge general election triumph for the SNP in May.

He said: “We’ve signed up a lot of young people into party politics and a lot of older people are coming back.

“It was a surge of optimism and hope. But the issues we face now are welfare, jobs, housing, hope and opportunities. That is what we will be campaigning on.”