Jeremy Corbyn says Labour are 'well placed' to win next general election

Jeremy Corbyn thinks Labour are “well placed” to win the next general election.

Following the local election results, the leader of the opposition hailed the party’s “progress”.

A mixed set of results left both Labour and the Tories claiming success, with the Conservatives holding on to “crown jewel” authorities in London including Wandsworth.

In a video message, Mr Corbyn hailed victories in Plymouth and Kirklees, and added: “We have made progress in the places we need to win in the next general election.

“In London we have achieved the best result since 1971, missing out on winning the flagship Tory borough of Wandsworth by a whisker.

“We are well placed to fight and win the next general election whenever it comes.”

For Labour, despite the ongoing row over anti-Semitism – which may have damaged the effort in key target Barnet, which was won by the Tories – there were signs of progress and analysis suggested the two main parties were neck-and-neck overall in terms of national vote share.

In the last of the 150 results declared, Labour’s sweep of 42 of the 45 seats in Tower Hamlets also represented a serious defeat for Aspire, the party backed by disgraced former mayor Lutfur Rahman, which won no seats.

The rift in British politics was laid bare by an analysis for the BBC conducted by election guru Professor Sir John Curtice.

Votes in the local elections equated to a 35% share for both Labour and the Conservatives, which could leave Mr Corbyn as the leader of the largest party in a hung parliament if repeated at a general election.

Critics said Labour’s chances in targets such as Barnet – won by the Tories – had been damaged by the anti-Semitism row, while Mr Corbyn’s response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria and the Salisbury poisoning were also questioned.