Jeremy Corbyn would have won General Election had campaigning lasted 'a few weeks longer', John McDonnell claims

Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party would have won the General Election if the campaign had lasted a few weeks longer, John McDonnell claimed.

The shadow chancellor said the centre ground of politics had shifted “to our ground”, which is why the party got “such a good result” on polling day.

Labour won 262 seats in the general election, up from the 232 secured by Ed Miliband in 2015, but the Conservatives remain the largest party in Parliament.

Speaking to Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live from Glastonbury Festival, Mr McDonnell said: "We are the centre of politics now - politics has moved on to our ground and that's why we got such a good result.

"That's why I think if a few weeks time, if the campaign had lasted longer, we would most probably be in Government."

His comments came after Mr Corbyn this week took his first lead in the polls for voters’ Prime Minister of choice for the first time.

In a YouGov poll for The Times, 35 per cent said they would prefer the Labour leader in Number 10, with 34 per cent backing Theresa May.

The results showed an extraordinary fall from grace for the Tory leader after only 15 per cent favoured Mr Corbyn when she called the election in April.