Jeremy Corbyn urges Labour to 'end trench warfare'

Jeremy Corbyn has told supporters that his party is not only about protests and campaigns but also about "winning power".

Speaking at the Labour conference in Liverpool, the leader promised to deliver "the socialism of the 21st century".

Days after being re-elected head of his fractured party, he urged delegates to "end the trench warfare" and reunite to take on the Conservatives.

But he also stressed he will not make cutting migrant numbers an objective, as he risked stoking differences within his own ranks over immigration.

There have been calls from his own MPs including Andy Burnham - who announced his resignation as shadow home secretary - to respond to the concerns of some British people in the EU referendum.

And in a reference to reports of violence in Yemen, he promised a Labour government would ban arms sales to any country that was subject to "credible" accounts of human rights abuses "starting with Saudi Arabia".

Mr Corbyn said voters will not be won over by a party viewed as divided and urged his critics to accept the result of the leadership contest where he convincingly beat Owen Smith.

He thanked Mr Smith and went on to repeat his earlier statements about the need for "respect" during "robust debate" and his opposition to anti-semitism and abuse.

When he talked about Labour's recent successes, he mentioned the new mayor of Bristol and also London mayor Sadiq Khan, who showed little reaction at the mention of his name.

:: Labour conference - Who had good week/bad week?

In his speech, Mr Corbyn attacked those who "pedalled myths and whip up division" over different groups in society, including migrants.

He said: "It isn't migrants that drive down wages; it's exploitative employers and the politicians who deregulate the labour market and rip up trade union rights.

"It isn't migrants who put a strain on our National Health Service; it only keeps going because of the migrant nurses and doctors who come here, filling the gaps left by politicians who failed to invest in training.

"It isn't migrants that have caused the housing crisis, it's a Tory government that has failed to build homes.

"A Labour government will not offer false promises on immigration, as the Tories have done.

"We will act decisively to end the under-cutting of workers' pay and conditions through the exploitation of migrant labour... which will reduce the number of migrant workers and in the process, the pressure on hard pressed public services that are struggling to absorb Tory austerity cuts."

Meanwhile, referring to the campaign for justice for the 96 Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough, he said: "Those families have shown... that you can get truth and justice."

"Our party is about campaigning, and it's about protest too, but most of all it's about winning power at local and national government, to deliver the real change our country so desperately needs."

He went on to talk about the "testing" couple of months for Labour that started with the murder of Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, continued with the referendum and then the "tipping over of divisions in Parliament into the leadership contest that ended last Saturday".

Mr Corbyn outlined new policies which he said were necessary to undo what the Tories had put in place.

In a wide ranging attack on Conservative policies and their effects on people, he offered:

:: The repeal of the trade union act to "set unions free to do their jobs, defending and supporting their members and rights at work to a real living wage".

:: To take the railways back into public ownership.

:: To work towards "full employment, a homes guarantee, security at work, a strong, public National Health Service and social care".

:: A cut in inequality of income and wealth action to secure an equality society.

:: To put peace and justice at the heart of foreign policy.

He said he wanted to use the example set by several Labour councils around the country in setting up schemes that improve their areas and benefit their residents.

Part of a plan to boost the economy would be tackling under investment in green technologies and a proposal to increase spending on research and development to 3% of national income.

He promised to increase spending on infrastructure, but said businesses must be prepared to contribute to Labour's plan to invest in human capital so that corporation tax would have to rise by less than 1.5% to fund an education maintenance allowance.

He described the failure to pay proper taxes by tax avoidance as "an act of vandalism" against the NHS and social care.

He warned that Theresa May could call a general election in 2017 and said Labour is preparing for one next year.

"We'll be ready for the challenge whenever it comes. Let's do it," he said. "Let's do it in the spirit of the great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly."

His closing line, after a call for a socialism of the 21st century, was an appeal for unity. "Together we can build a peaceful world," he said, as he was given a standing ovation.

Mr Burnham described Mr Corbyn's speech as "really strong", adding: "I thought he did very well. I think he will have won some supporters over today."

He also said he believed the party conference will have a unifying effect on MPs.