Jeremy Corbyn calls for an ‘immediate general election’

Jeremy Corbyn

The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for an “immediate general election” following Theresa May’s resignation.

Corbyn said that it was “right” for her to quit and said, “Whoever becomes the new Conservative leader must let the people decide our country’s future, through an immediate general election.”

The Labour leader said in a statement, “She has now accepted what the country has known for months: she cannot govern, and nor can her divided and disintegrating party.

“The burning injustices she promised to tackle three years ago are even starker today.

“The Conservative Party has utterly failed the country over Brexit and is unable to improve people’s lives or deal with their most pressing needs.

“Parliament is deadlocked and the Conservatives offer no solutions to the other major challenges facing our country.”

He said on the subject of the contestant race for a new leader, “The last thing the country needs is weeks of more Conservative infighting followed by yet another unelected Prime Minister.”

Tom Watson the deputy labour leader said, “She tried to do what was right for our country. But she failed because by the time she realised the need for compromise it was too late.

“History will record she was honourable in her intentions. To those who have plotted in her downfall to further their own ambitions, the ideological fanatics who won’t stop until they have cut off all our ties with Europe, history will not be so kind.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said May “was right to recognise that her administration has reached the end of the road.

“Sadly, her compromises through the last three years have too often been with the right-wing of her own party, rather than about bringing the country together.

“Conservative Party interest has always trumped national interest, and yet Conservative MPs continue to demand an ever more extreme Brexit policy.

“The best and only option remains to take Brexit back to the people. I believe the public would now choose to stop Brexit.”