Jeremy Corbyn attacks LABOUR MPs for showing him ‘a great deal of hostility’ when he was party leader as he complains he only has about 15 ‘close political friends’ in the Commons

• Mr Corbyn made the remark in an interview with a left-wing politics podcast
• He was replaced by Keir Starmer in April after humiliation at general election
• Veteran leftwiner admitted that he had ‘few political friends’ in Westminster

Jeremy Corbyn has made an extraordinary public attack on fellow Labour MPs, accusing them of ‘a great deal of hostility’ to him when he was parry leader.

Mr Corbyn, who was replaced by Keir Starmer in April after leading the opposition to humiliation at the 2019 general election, made the remark in an interview with a left-wing politics podcast.

In it he also admitted that he had ‘few political friends’ in Westminster, counting perhaps 15 out of the 650 MPs.

Mr Corbyn has numerous run-ins with his MPs during his leadership, including over the party’s policies on Brexit and allegations of anti-Semitism against his supporters.

Speaking to Tribune Magazine’s A World to Win podcast hosted by hard Left economist and commentator Grace Blakeley, he praised party members, who were more supportive of his agenda.

Discussing his debut in the Commons as opposition leader after replacing Ed Miliband in 2015, he said: ‘I looked around and there weren’t too many people that I’d call close political friends. 

‘In fact there were about 15 of them out of the 650 MPs there. It was difficult,  there’s no denying that.

‘There are people in the Labour Party that don’t want change, that didn’t want that change. I was faced by a great deal of hostility from the very beginning.’

Mr Corbyn, who was replaced by Keir Starmer in April after leading the opposition to humiliation at the 2019 general election, made the remark in an interview with a left-wing politics podcast

Mr Corbyn was also asked what he would ask for if he as allowed to make a request of new leader Sir Keir Starmer. He replied: ‘Make sure our party is always proud to be a socialist party’

Labour has narrowed the Tory lead to just two points this week as support for the Boris Johnson and the Conservatives dropped after the Government’s exams fiasco

Mr Corbyn was also asked what he would ask for if he as allowed to make a request of new leader Sir Keir Starmer. He replied: ‘Make sure our party is always proud to be a socialist party.’

It came as a new poll showed Labour has narrowed the Tory lead to just two points this week as support for the Boris Johnson and the Conservatives dropped after the Government’s exams fiasco. 

YouGov found that public support for the Tories had dropped four points to 40 per cent while Labour was up three to 38 per cent from last week’s survey.

Sir Keir Starmer is now the preferred choice for prime minister, with the Labour leader’s rating rising three points to 35 per cent.

Mr Johnson’s personal rating slipped a point to 31 per cent after the PM refused to sack Gavin Williamson over his handling of the A-level grades row.

The new poll, which shows the lowest Tory leader since Mr Johnson took control of the party, was conducted for The Times on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

On April 4, four months after thrashing Jeremy Corbyn at the 2019 general election and a week after lockdown began, the Tories had a 24-point lead over Labour. 

The Conservative Party’s popularity plunged in May with a nine-point drop in one week, but stabilised. Three YouGov polls conducted last month showed Tory leaders of up to 10 points.

Last week’s seven-point drop is likely to set alarm bells ringing off in the Tory camp, as it gives Labour the best chance of taking the lead for the first time since Mr Johnson became PM.

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