Jeremy Corbyn threatens to ‘INFECT’ the nation with Corbyn-mania after unveiling a string of hard-left policies that would take Britain back to the 1970s
Despite denying he has a cult following, the Labour leader urged the party faithful to spread their 'infectious' enthusiasm for the Corbyn project
JEREMY CORBYN today vowed to INFECT Britain with his hard-left thinking, pledging to spread his socialist ideology across the country.
Speaking at the end of a chaotic Labour conference, the hard-left hero who just months ago rose from the dead, pledged to storm into No10 and impose his programme of nationalisation and tax hikes on unsuspecting Brits.
Jezza addressed his fans during this year's party conference speech this afternoon, where they blindly stumbled up to hug him and take selfies.
The fanatical crowd then chanted ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn!’ repeatedly to the tune of cult classic Seven Nation Army.
During his 75-minute speech, the walking red leader vowed to see his party take power.
Jez said of the party's blood-thirsty fight to get into office: “You know what, it’s quite infectious - let’s make sure the whole country’s infected with the same thing."
The Labour leader, who vowed that his party was now the "mainstream", urged his loyal followers to get the message out there and infect the rest of the country with his socialist virus.
In a battle for survival, he laid out his thriller vision for a Labour Britain where workers should be treated ahead of big corporations.
And he promised to lead Britain back to the dark days of the 1970s by saying he would tear up the "broken" reforms put in place by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
Business leaders immediately hit back to tell him he was "divorced from reality" and insisted: "we are not the enemy".
And the Tories attacked him for failing to call out antisemitism and giving "no explanation" on how Labour would deliver their big promises.
They claimed his fantasy plans would cost the taxpayer an eye-watering £312 billion - the equivalent of 81,000 nurses, 69,000 teachers, and 66,000 police officers.
In his keynote speech to the party faithful Mr Corbyn declared:
- Labour are now on a war-footing for a new snap nationwide poll if the minority Tory government fails. He insisted that the party are now on the "threshold of power", even though they had not won the election
- Mr Corbyn insisted his controversial socialist plans were just "common sense" as he promised to turn back the clock on Tory Britain
- He vowed socialist control rents under a Labour government which were immediately slammed by property experts
- He mocked the Tory election disaster by using their campaign slogans "strong or stable", "magic money tree” and "coalition of chaos” against them
- He detailed a list of policies the Tories have junked since the election - and accused Theresa May of cherry-picking new ones from Labour
- Corbyn declared that Labour respected the EU referendum result and committed to staying in the Single Market for a "limited transition period" after Brexit
- He hit out at Theresa May for under-funding the police - which he claimed again led to the terror attacks in Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge
- In one surreal moment, he led the crowd in a rendition of Happy Birthday for Diane Abbott, who turns 64 today
- He condemned abuse - but failed to address the antisemitism row that has engulfed the party yet again
- Mr Corbyn hit out at Donald Trump's "dangerous" path and vowed that Labour would not follow America's lead
- He declared that the Grenfell fire disaster was a "monument for a degraded regime" which stands for a "failed and broken system"
- And he called for a two-state solution to solve the conflict between Israel and Palestine
Symptoms of Jezza's communist infection (as imagined by us)
- Shunning meat in favour of vegetarian options
- Quoting the Communist Manifesto to friends
- Developing an unhealthy obsession with manhole covers
- Having a strong urge to make jam
- Hair turning white
- Blindly chanting the names of your political heroes
- Avoiding alcohol
- Getting itchy when you leave your allotment unattended for too long
- Feeling passionate about authoritarian left-wing regimes
Mr Corbyn declared this afternoon: "Against all predictions, in June we won the largest increase in the Labour vote since 1945 and achieved Labour’s best vote for a generation.
“It’s a result which has put the Tories on notice and Labour on the threshold of power.
“We have become a government-in-waiting. And our message to the country could not be clearer: we are ready for government.”
In a message to the cabinet after weeks of division over Brexit, he said: "For Britain's sake, pull yourself together, or make way."
Mr Corbyn said: “We are ready to tackle inequality, ready to rebuild our National Health Service, ready to give opportunities to young people, dignity and security to all older people.
“Ready to invest in our economy and met the challenges of climate change and of automation, ready to put peace and justice at the heart of our foreign policy and ready to build a new and progressive relationship with Europe.
“We are ready and the Conservatives are not - they’re certainly not strong and they’re definitely not stable."
He also highlighted a new policy to abolish all tuition fees for college courses as well as for university degrees.
The plan will cost £2.5bn a year and its cost has already been factored in to Labour’s plan for tax rises on the wealthy and businesses.
He also revealed today that he is launching a review of social housing alongside his Shadow Minister John Healey.
"We will control rents - when the younger generation’s housing costs are three times more than those of their grandparents, that is not sustainable," he said.
He ended by declaring: "Labour can and will deliver a Britain for the many and not the few."
Following the mammoth speech the party delivered a passionate rendition of socialist song The Red Flag, followed by Jerusalem.
What did Jeremy Corbyn say in his conference speech?
On Labour being a government-in-waiting:
"We are ready and the Tories are clearly not. They’re certainly not strong and they’re definitely not stable.
"They’re not remotely united. And they’re hanging on by their fingertips."
On the Tories and the DUP:
"They have tracked down the Magic Money Tree when it was needed to keep Theresa May in Downing Street.
"It was given a good old shake - and lo and behold – now we know the price of power – it’s about £100m for each Democratic Unionist MP."
On the divided cabinet:
"She’s got a ‘coalition of chaos’ around her own cabinet table - Phillip Hammond and Liam Fox, Boris Johnson and David Davis.
"At each other’s throats, squabbling and plotting, manoeuvring to bundle the Prime Minister out of Number Ten and take her place at the first opportunity.
"For Britain’s sake - pull yourself together or make way."
On Brexit:
"As democratic socialists, we accept and respect the referendum result, but respect for a democratic decision does not mean giving a green light to a reckless Tory Brexit agenda that would plunge Britain into a Trump-style race-to-the-bottom in rights and corporate taxes.
"We are not going to be passive spectators to a hopelessly inept negotiating team putting at risk people’s jobs, rights and living standards."
On immigration:
"We will never follow the Tories into the gutter of blaming migrants for the ills of society.
";It isn’t migrants who drive down wages and conditions but the worst bosses in collusion with a Conservative government that never misses a chance to attack trade unions and weaken people’s rights at work.
"Labour will take action to stop employers driving down pay and conditions not pander to scapegoating or racism."
On housing:
"We’re launching a review of social housing policy - its building, planning, regulation and management.
"We will insist that every home is fit for human habitation, a proposal this Tory government voted down.
"And we will control rents - when the younger generation’s housing costs are three times more than those of their grandparents, that is not sustainable.”
On nationalisation:
"Of the nine water companies in England, six are now owned by private equity or foreign sovereign wealth funds. Their profits are handed out in dividends to shareholders while the infrastructure crumbles the companies pay little or nothing in tax and executive pay has soared as the service deteriorates.
"That is why we are committed to take back our utilities into public ownership to put them at the service of our people and our economy and stop the public being ripped off.”
On the Grenfell tower fire:
"A horrifying fire in which dozens perished an entirely avoidable human disaster. One which is an indictment not just of decades of failed housing policies and privatisation and the yawning inequality in one of the wealthiest boroughs and cities in the world.
"It is also a damning indictment of a whole outlook which values council tax refunds for the wealthy above decent provision for all and which has contempt for working class communities."
On President Trump:
"The speech made by the US President to the United Nations last week was deeply disturbing.
"It threatened war and talked of tearing up international agreements.
"Devoid of concern for human rights or universal values, it was not the speech of a world leader.
"Our government has a responsibility. It cannot meekly go along with this dangerous course."
On North Korea:
"We should stand firm for peaceful solutions to international crises.
"Let’s tone down the rhetoric, and back dialogue and negotiations to wind down the deeply dangerous confrontation over the Korean Peninsula.
"And I appeal to the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres to use the authority of his office and go to Washington and Pyongyang to kick start that essential process of dialogue."
On Israel/Palestine:
"Let’s give real support to end the oppression of the Palestinian people, the 50-year occupation and illegal settlement expansion and move to a genuine two-state solution of the Israel-Palestine conflict."
On education:
"We will establish a National Education Service which will include at its core free tuition for all college courses, technical and vocational training so that no one is held back by costs and everyone has the chance to learn.
"That will give millions a fair chance. Lifelong learning for all is essential in the economy of the future."
On abuse:
"There can never be any excuse for any abuse of anybody. We settle our differences with democratic votes and unite around those decision."
His Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell hailed his speech as "visionary" and that Labour was "winning the hearts and minds of the people".
UNISON boss Dave Prentis said it was a "defining speech" which was "full of hope".
And GMB General Secretary Tim Loache said "Jeremy showed he's not messing around" and that he wants to radically shake up Britain.
But the Tories hit back to declare his speech was full of "big promises, but no explanation of how they would deliver them."
Mrs May's deputy Damian Green said: "He failed to mention their broken promise on student debt, as he knows it’s unworkable.
"He won’t call out or even mention claims of anti-Semitism within his party – highlighting just how divided Labour are.
"And he’s already admitted that Labour are planning for a financial crisis if they take office - they know the costs of their policies would rack up and up, just like last time.
"Labour say they are ready for power but everything we’ve seen this week suggests they’re not fit to govern – and it’s ordinary working people who would end up footing the bill.”
And immediately afterwards business leaders hit back at the party, telling Mr Corbyn: "We are not the enemy."
The head of the Institute of Directors said he was "disappointed" that the Labour leader didn't say one positive thing about businesses.
"It would be very worrying if the Leader of the Opposition really saw nothing positive in Britain’s business community," Stephen Martin said.
"Labour may see themselves as a government in waiting, but if they are to govern, they will need to recognise that business is not the enemy.
And Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General of the CBI, stormed: "Repeated rhetoric on the sins of a handful of businesses does little to reassure anxious entrepreneurs and investors about the UK’s future as a great place to do business.
"The vast majority of UK firms are dedicated to creating great jobs, and products and services that improve people’s lives."
The TaxPayer's Alliane said the speech was "littered with platitutes" which taxpayers would have to foot the bill for.
Chief Executive John O'Connell said: "The only substantial policy proposal - to impose rent controls - has been proven time and time again to make housing less available and affordable."
And the Chief Executive of ARLA Propertymark said that the party "clearly hadn't learned the lessons of history" with its new announement.
David Cox insisted that the move to control rents was "two steps backward".
He said: ";Whenever and wherever rent controls are introduced, the quantity of available housing reduces significantly, and the conditions in privately rented properties deteriorate dramatically. Rent control is not the answer.";
What a buck up
By Matt Dathan, Political Correspondent
A Labour frontbencher broke her wrist - while speaking at an event to raise awareness of the dangers of dyspraxia.
Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck was rushed to hospital and needing surgery after slipping while speaking at a conference fringe about the condition - which causes clumsiness.
The MP for South Shields and shadow children’s minister saw the irony - and tweeted a picture of her bandaged wrist.
She wrote on Twitter: "I am proud of my dyspraxia & proud to raise awareness of it."
Two years ago she broke her ankle in the Great North Run - forcing her to miss Mr Corbyn’s first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions.
