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Calls to halt Labour leadership race 'not helpful'

Calls to halt the Labour leadership race have been branded "unhelpful" after reports emerged today of an alleged "hard-left infiltration" of the party.

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Jeremy Corbyn asked: Do you want to be Prime Minister?

Footage courtesy of LBC

Jeremy Corbyn tonight said he would "of course" like to become Prime Minister, as Labour leadership candidates debated on LBC radio.

When asked directly by rival Yvette Cooper if he was in the race because he wanted to lead the country, the Islington North MP at first responded: "I am doing this because I want our party to change. I'm doing this because I'm putting myself forward to do the job in order to bring about that change."

Asked the same question another three times, Corbyn eventually replied: "Of course, because that's why we're all here."

Corbyn scraped onto the ballot for the leadership contest at the last moment, after several Labour MPs nominated him to ensure a wider field.

However, he has surprised many by become a frontrunner, falling from odds of 100-1 to 2-1 and being placed in a comfortable lead by a Times/YouGov poll released late on Tuesday.

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