Jeremy Corbyn declares he’s ‘ready to serve’ as PM following Labour’s election triumph Jeremy Corbyn insisted that Labour was “ready to serve this country” as he described his party as the real winners […]

Jeremy Corbyn insisted that Labour was “ready to serve this country” as he described his party as the real winners of a dramatic general election contest.

“I think it’s pretty clear who won this election. We are ready to do everything we can to put our programme into operation” Jeremy Corbyn The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

Praising an “incredible result”, the Labour leader reiterated his demand for Mrs May to resign as Prime Minister and called for him to be given the chance to form a minority government.

Although the Labour tally of seats was still far short of the Tory haul, there was jubilation within the party at its surge in support during the campaign.

It won more than 40 per cent of the votes cast, close to vote share received by Tony Blair at the peak of his popularity.

Mr Corbyn said: “I think it’s pretty clear who won this election. We are ready to do everything we can to put our programme into operation.

“The party that has lost in this election is the Conservative Party, the arguments the Conservative Party put forward in this election have lost. I think we need a change.”

Labour’s ‘huge mandate’

He argued that Labour had won a “huge mandate” to challenge the Conservatives’ austerity agenda.

The result means that Mr Corbyn, who last year survived an attempt by his MPs to topple him, has complete authority over his party.

He now faces the dilemma of whether to stick by the loyal allies who comprised his shadow Cabinet team, or to offer places on his frontbench to some former “refuseniks”.

Senior Labour figures who had been touted as potential successors, including Chuka Umunna and Hilary Benn, praised Mr Corbyn’s performance during the campaign.

Labour outperformed even its most optimistic projections as it picked up seats across England, Wales and Scotland.

Its most spectacular gain was in Canterbury, which had been held by the Conservatives for 99 years, and party’s other scalps included ministers’ seats in Brighton Kemptown; Reading East; and Crewe and Nantwich.

Recovery in Scotland

Labour also showed signs of recovering from its nadir in Scotland, picking up six seats from the SNP.

Mr Corbyn’s closest ally, the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, said: “We have laid the foundations for a minority government, and then eventually a majority government.

“The instability that we now have is not from the Labour Party or other parties, it’s the Conservative Party itself.

“If we can form a minority government, I think we could have a stability government, not through deals or coalitions but policy by policy.

“That would prevent another election, because I think people have had enough of elections.”

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, a strong Corbyn supporter, said: “People do not want Tory business as usual, they do not want a politics built on fear that spreads despair, and they certainly do not want a lame duck prime minister.

“This must now mean the end of austerity, and a return to the investment and support our manufacturing industries urgently need.”