Jeremy Corbyn: Labour ready to serve this country

I think it's pretty clear who won this election

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has reiterated calls for Theresa May to resign, insisting she has "lost" in her bid for a Prime Ministerial mandate and declaring 'we are ready to serve this country'.

The Labour leader, who was re-elected as MP for Islington North with more than 40,000 votes, said the Conservatives should stand aside for a Labour government after a tumultuous election night ended in a hung parliament.

Speaking at Labour HQ, Corbyn said his party had achieved an "incredible result", putting on more than three million votes and gaining seats all over the UK, but added that his party would do no deals or pacts.

"I think it's pretty clear who won this election,'' he declared.

"We are ready to do everything we can to put our programme into operation. There isn't a parliamentary majority for anybody at the present time, the party that has lost in this election is the Conservative Party, the arguments the Conservative Party put forward in this election have lost.

"I think we need a change."

Asked if there would now be another election, Mr Corbyn said: "Parliament must meet and Parliament will have to take a decision on what happens. When a government puts forward the Queen's Speech, we will put forward our point of view, we are of course ready to serve."

In an earlier victory speech, Mr Corbyn said voters had opted for hope and "turned their backs on the politics of austerity".

"Politics has changed. Politics isn't going back into the box where it was before.

"Because what happens is that people have said they've had quite enough of austerity politics."

He added: "If there is a message from tonight's results, it's this: the Prime Minister called this election because she wanted a mandate.

"Well the mandate she's got is lost Conservative seats, lost votes, lost support and lost confidence.

"I would have thought that's enough to go, and make way for a government that will be truly representative of all of the people of this country."