Jeremy Corbyn warns of huge job losses with 'tax haven' Brexit

Jeremy Corbyn has warned that failure to maintain a market relationship with the EU post-Brexit would mean "huge" job losses.

Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Mr Corbyn renewed his criticism of the Prime Minister's threat to effectively turn the UK into a Singapore-style low-tax, low-regulation haven if Brussels refuses easy access to the free trade bloc.

Theresa May said in a major speech last week that she was "confident" an agreement could be reached with the EU, but warned she was ready to walk away from the negotiating table rather than accept "a bad deal for Britain".

Mr Corbyn said such a move would be "incredibly damaging".

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He also repeated that he would not block triggering the formal Article 50 process for leaving the EU, but said Labour would be demanding guarantees from the Government on a series of issues, including market access.

The veteran left-winger refused to be drawn over whether he would order his MPs to back Article 50 in face of a likely rebellion, but said he would "ask" them to respect the result of the referendum.

His comments came as dozens of pro-EU Labour MPs wrote to Mrs May opposing a "hard Brexit" and threatening to vote against her final deal.

Mr Corbyn told Sky News: "We accept the result of the referendum. It's clear. It's a democratic decision which was made. Parliament must reflect that."

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But he said Article 50 gave Labour "the responsibility and the opportunity to negotiate", and he confirmed he would put forward amendments to the legislation needed to start the UK's departure.

Mr Corbyn added: "I think we should have a market relationship.

"Quite seriously an awful lot of jobs in Britain - Nissan in Sunderland, Rolls Royce, many others - rely very heavily on relationships with Europe... there has to be a continuation of that, otherwise the job losses are going to be huge."

He went on: "There has to be a market relationship with Europe. Whether that is membership of the single market, whether that is some kind of special relationship. There has to be an agreement on that.

"To go into these negotiations saying, 'by the way, if you don't agree with everything I have given you on this wishlist we are going to set up a low tax haven, bargain basement on the shores of Europe and then you'll see what we are really about' - that would be incredibly damaging.

"People might have voted to leave the European Union, but they didn't vote to cut public services, they didn't vote to cut wages, they didn't vote to cut their living standards."

During the interview, Mr Corbyn also rejected the idea that he was part of the Establishment, despite having spent more than three decades in Westminster.

The MP of 34 years said: "I don't think I am actually and I don't think those that are in the Establishment would really count me as one of their normal members."

Amid heightened concerns over Russian aggression, Mr Corbyn also refused to say if he would send British troops to defence a NATO ally.