In his first major speech since being elected as Labours new leader, Jeremy Corbyn hit back at the sneering mainstream media and called on Twitter trolls to cut out the abuse. The left-winger promised he would not indulge in personal attacks and urged the attendees in Brighton to treat people as you wish to be treated yourselves.
The veteran parliamentarian, who has come under intense scrutiny from the media since his victory on 12 September, also told online bullies to stop their misogynistic attacks on female politicians and activists. Elsewhere, the Islington North MP said he wanted to introduce a kinder politics and implement a bottom-up, grassroots-led approach to policy making.
But Corbyn, who sported a red tie and brown jacket during the address, made sure to restate his personal position on Britains renewal of Trident, the countrys nuclear deterrent. I dont think £100bn [$151bn] spent on the renewal of Trident is the right way forward, he said. The comments come after opposition from Labour shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn over the issue.
Corbyn also paid tribute to the partys former leadership hopefuls, including Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall, after he gained almost 60% of the vote in the election. Labour must now embrace a modern left and reach out to all areas of society, the 66-year-old added. Together we can make a very big difference to our society, he said, after claiming 50,000 new members had joined the party since his election.
Corbyn also stressed that he loved the UK and shared the story of his meeting of Armed Forces personnel who travelled to Sierra Leone to fight Ebola. The remarks come after the former backbencher was criticised for not singing the national anthem during a Battle of Britain commemoration ceremony at St Pauls Cathedral on 15 September.
