Jeremy Corbyn admits he feels sorry for Theresa May

Jeremy Corbyn revealed his sensitive side during a visit to Nuneaton today when he confessed he feels sorry for Prime Minister Theresa May.

With pressure on the Prime Minister mounting as the Brexit deadline nears and continuing in-fighting in the Conservative party, the Labour leader was a given a warm welcome at a public meeting in at the Pavillion Club in Stockingford.

Hundreds of people turned out at the headquarters of Stockingford Allotment Association as Mr Corbyn and his entourage visited Warwickshire as part of a drive to kick-off community organising projects for the party.

He joined former North Warwickshire MP Mike O’Brien and Zoe Mayou, who will contest the Nuneaton seat for Labour at the next General Election, onstage at the event.

Mr Corbyn was loudly cheered as he made his way into the hall and both Mr O’Brien and Ms Mayou addressed the crowd before he did.

The event was part of a nationwide drive to persuade people to become ‘foot soldiers’ for the Labour cause in the run-up to the next General Election - whenever that might be.

The party is targeting marginal seats and Mr Corbyn’s Warwickshire visit saw public meetings take place in Nuneaton and Rugby.

The Labour leader seemed relaxed as he delivered an impassioned speech that focused in large part on austerity and Conservative pledges that it was now at an end.

Speaking to the crowd he said: “We can’t just be managers of an economy, we have to challenge the austerity and everything that goes with it.

“This Budget is one gigantic con on the people of this country.”

“Theresa May said austerity was over - but Phillip Hamnmond clearly hadn’t been told about this speech.”

Following the meeting CoventryLive had the opportunity to speak to Mr Corbyn and asked whether he actually felt sorry for the Prime Minister/

“I am a very decent human being,” he said.

“I feel sorry for anyone in distress.

“But the best way for anyone to alleviate distress is to take yourself away from the source of it.”

In his speech Mr Corbyn challenged Theresa May to hold a General Election.

He said: “Feel free to take a walking holiday and hold another election.”

Serious message on Brexit

As well as austerity there was also a serious message about Brexit, Mr Corbyn saying the Labour party would stick to its six tests.

In his speech the party leader acknowledged Brexit is “a huge issue” but warned Labour would not “do a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump”.

Mr Corbyn told CoventryLive: “If the Prime Minister comes back with a bad deal we will vote it down and say go back and renegotiate.”

He said that in the event of no-deal everything would default to World Trade Organisation terms straight away, which would have “very damaging effects on our industries”.

He added: “There has to be an agreement.

“It is about recognising the result of the referendum.

“While people voted remain or leave, no one voted to lose their jobs or to have their working conditions diminished.”

CoventryLive asked Mr Corbyn about Jaguar Land Rover and its concerns of the impact of a bad Brexit deal or no-deal might have, with the prospect of production being moved overseas and the loss of thousands of jobs.

He said that he and Shadow Brexit Minister Keir Starmer planned to meet key industry figures and added: “The Brexit deal we are trying to get gives us trade and a customs union, so the supply chain remains intact.”

In his speech to the meeting Mr Corbyn joked about the criticism levelled at him by the media.

He said: “Do many notice the mainstream media are mildly critical of me.

“They even criticised my cat and that is as low as you can go.”

Cat in the firing line

On a light-hearted note CoventryLive asked Mr Corbyn whether his cat had recovered from the media intrusion.

He replied: “Cats never forget.”

He did, however, conclude by praising the work of many media outlets and journalists, particularly when it comes to investigative journalism and also campaigns which highlight social issues such as homelessness.

He said: “Our media needs to investigate and ask politicians hard questions and I think there is a need to support investigative journalism.

“Journalists around the world have died because they stood up for things.

“Dozens have lost their lives in Mexico, where my wife is from, because they were investigating drug gangs.”

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