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As he took the helm of the Mersey FerryLabour leaderJeremy Corbyn said he backed remaining in Europe to defend “social justice”.

Mr Corbyn took a trip across the Mersey on the Royal Iris and was invited to steer the ship for part of the trip from the Pier Head in Liverpool to Seacombe .

It was some light relief for the Labour leader who through the day had been meeting party members across Merseyside, including Knowsley , Bootle and West Kirby where he received a lengthy standing ovation at a packed West Kirby Methodist Church.

Later he travelled on the Mersey Ferries where he was offered the chance to steer The Royal Iris of the Mersey, and joked “shall I go left?” as he took the wheel.

Afterwards he said: “To me it’s totally magic to be on a ferry across the Mersey, and be given the awesome responsibility of steering it for nearly five minutes – under very strict instructions from the captain and the entire crew as to what direction to steer it, otherwise there would have been a very unnecessary interaction with the Isle of Man ferry, which would have been disappointing for all of us.”

In pictures: Jeremy Corbyn on Merseyside

Walton MP Steve Rotheram joked “safe hands Corbyn” to which the Labour leader replied: “I’m a pair of safe hands, but even safer when the real person was doing it.”

Later the Labour leader, who gave a major speech earlier in the week in favour of the UK remaining in Europe in the forthcoming referendum, told the ECHO: “It’s about the need for a Europe committed to anti-austerity, committed to social justice, environmental protection.”

Mr Corbyn said Europe offered key protections for workers’ rights and added: “The Labour party as a whole has an overwhelmingly strong position to remain, but remain for a social Europe, not a free market Europe which is why we’re running our own campaign.”