'Traitors flinch and cowards sneer!' Union chief Red Len McCluskey rages at Corbyn critics as he hails left-wing takeover in Labour conference speech

  • Len McCluskey told the Labour Party conference Jeremy Corbyn is here to stay
  • He quoted socialist anthem The Red Flag to swipe at 'cowards and traitors'
  • Hard-left boss of the Unite union said Labour now stand at threshold of power 

Union boss Len McCluskey today raged against critics of Jeremy Corbyn as he hailed the left-wing takeover of the Labour Party

The hard-left Unite chief insisted Labour did win the General Election and said the party now stood at the 'threshold of power'.

And he recited an adapted version of the socialist anthem The Red Flag to warn party members the hard-left's grip on the leadership is here to stay.

He told the party conference: 'Let's make it clear today. Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, we'll keep the Corbyn flag flying here.'

His words sparked a standing ovation among the Corbyn-supporting activists who were packed into the Brighton conference hall this morning.

Unite boss Len McCluskey, pictured today at the Labour Party conference, hailed Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party and warned critics the left-wing takeover is here to stay

Unite boss Len McCluskey, pictured today at the Labour Party conference, hailed Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party and warned critics the left-wing takeover is here to stay

The unite boss - dubbed 'Red Len' - was part of a left-wing line up who dominated the conference stage, which included Dennis Skinner and John McDonnell.

Delivering a rabble-rousing speech, Mr McCluskey said the election was a 'huge advance for socialist policies', even though Labour lost to the Tories.

And he boasted about his hopes to install Mr Corbyn and his left-wing policies into Downing Street' and the heart of national life.

He said: 'Let me say this to those merchants of doom, the whingers and whiners who say we should have done better, we didn't win.

'I say we did win. We won the hearts and minds of millions of people, especially the young.

'We won the arguments that radical policies can stir the imagination and support of the British people.

'And perhaps most of all, we won back our dignity and pride, making Labour a noble cause.'

He said the election on June 8 was a 'triumph' for Mr Corbyn and the party now stands at the 'threshold of power'.

Mr McCluskey said: 'It was also a triumph for our leader Jeremy Corbyn. During the campaign the public got a chance to see the real man - his decency and is conviction.'

He accused the media at sneering at Mr Corbyn and accused Labour MPs of panicking by deserting walking out on their leader in bid to oust him from the leadership last summer.

The Livepudlian said: 'We were proud to nominate Jeremy Corbyn in 2015 because we knew our party needed something different.

Len McCluskey is a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, pictured today at the Labour Party conference. The trade union boss recited word from the socialist anthem, The Red Flag, to take a swipe against 'cowards and traitors' 

Len McCluskey is a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, pictured today at the Labour Party conference. The trade union boss recited word from the socialist anthem, The Red Flag, to take a swipe against 'cowards and traitors' 

'We were proud to give 100 per cent of our full throttled support to Jeremy and our Labour Party this election.'

He said that very little now stand between Labour's socialist vision and Downing Street.

Mr McCluskey said: 'We are on the threshold of power. In my 47 years in our party I've never looked forward to a Labour government  like I'm looking forward to this one.

''To a time when so much of what our parents and grandparents fought for - community, solidarity - can be installed in Downing Street and take its place at the heart of our national life.'

And he rounded of his speech with a rally-cry fro Corbynistas - and a warning to moderates not to try to oust the left-wing which have seized control of the party leadership. 

With his voice rising to a shout, he told the conference hall: 'Let's make it clear today. Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, we'll keep the Corbyn flag flying here.'