Contrast in tone as jaunty PM and rueful Labour leader pay tribute to NHS and other staff

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have paid tribute to NHS staff and other public servants working through the holidays in their annual Christmas messages.

While the two leaders both praised the efforts of those putting their celebrations on hold to look after others, the tone of their messages could hardly have been more different.

The prime minister began his video with a jaunty: “Hi folks, Boris Johnson here, taking a moment to wish you all a merry little Christmas.”

And he signed off breezily, urging people to enjoy the next few days, adding: “Try not to have too many arguments with the in-laws – or anyone else.”

In contrast, Corbyn, in what will almost certainly be his last Christmas message as Labour leader, reflected ruefully on his catastrophic defeat while expressing his hope for a “better world”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jeremy Corbyn delivering his Christmas message. Photograph: AP

“This has been a difficult year for many of us. We didn’t succeed in delivering the change that so many people so desperately need,” he said. “But Christmas is a chance to listen, reflect and remember all the things that bind us together: our compassion, our determination to tackle injustice and our hope for a better world.”

Corbyn said it was a time of year when “the scale of injustice and inequality is in very plain sight”, and he praised those working in food banks and emergency shelters helping the less fortunate.

“While we celebrate being together, we are reminded of the many who will be alone and sadly lonely at Christmas,” he said. “But our communities are built on generosity and the solidarity that comes from that. So we do not walk by on the other side.”

Johnson, who will be spending his first Christmas as prime minister in Downing Street with his girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, thanked those in the NHS, the police and other public services who would be working over the holiday, as well as military personnel on deployment.

He also spoke of the Christians around the world who were facing persecution for their beliefs. “For them, Christmas Day will be marked in private, in secret, perhaps even in a prison cell,” he said.

“As prime minister, that’s something I want to change. We stand with Christians everywhere, in solidarity, and will defend your right to practise your faith. So as a country, let us reflect on the year and celebrate the good that is to come.”