Jeremy Corbyn has admitted he often feels "deeply embarrassed" by a cult of personality that has developed around him.

The Labour leader has been greeted as a hero by many members at the party's annual conference in Brighton this week, following his surprise success at June's snap general election.

A portrait of the veteran politician wearing a halo and covered in fairy lights has been paraded in the main conference hall, while members have often broken out into football-style chants of the Labour leader's name.

Asked by Sky News' political editor Faisal Islam whether he felt he was now "like the Pied Piper" at the head of his party, Mr Corbyn said: "I did work hard in the election but so did everyone else.

"I often feel deeply embarrassed by it. It's not my wish and it's not my doing."


Labour's conference has been marked by the party facing a fresh anti-Semitism row, following reported remarks on Holocaust denial by a speaker at a fringe meeting.

But Mr Corbyn insisted the comments were from an "off-stage voice" as he pointed to a pending rule change designed to toughen Labour's stance on anti-Semitism and racism, which he said "all wings" of the party are united around.

"There is a lot of agreement around that," he added.

Asked whether he had got to grips with a series of anti-Semitism controversies that have dogged Labour under his two-year leadership of the party, Mr Corbyn said: "We're a party that is active in all parts of the country and all communities.

"This is a party of all communities around the country. All communities."

On Monday, Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell used his conference speech to unveil a plan to end new Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and bring existing ones back "in-house".

Along with Labour's election pledge to nationalise utilities such as water and energy, Faisal Islam asked Mr Corbyn whether the party could be accused of "spraying around money like confetti".

The Labour leader insisted his party would increase corporate taxation and taxes on the "very wealthiest" to fund their commitments.