Corbyn warns Johnson 'we are not afraid' and promises 'an election is coming'

Jeremy Corbyn has warned the Labour Party is "not afraid" to fight a general election, despite co-ordinating a cross-party effort to vote against one last night.

The Labour leader threatened Boris Johnson with the "biggest people-powered campaign we've ever seen" as he warned a general election "is coming", but not on the prime minister's terms.

Speaking at the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Corbyn continued: "In the next few weeks the establishment will come after us with all they've got because they know we are not afraid to take them on."

But in the Commons last night, Mr Corbyn did not back a motion put by Prime Minister Johnson requesting to hold an early general election.

The prime minister criticised Mr Corbyn for refusing to back an early poll, despite previously he'd back one if legislation to prevent a forced no-deal Brexit on October 31 became law.

Following defeat on Monday evening, the prime minister said: "The surrender act has now passed, it's gained royal assent, he's done his level best to wreck this country's chances of a successful negotiation.

"By his own logic, he must now back an election."

It was a late night for the prime minister as he suffered his sixth Commons defeat. Credit: PA

He added that Mr Corbyn had become the first leader of the opposition in the country's history to "show his confidence" in the government "by declining the opportunity to have an election with a view to removing the government".

Amid stormy scenes in the chamber Mr Corbyn said he would not let his party walk into "traps laid by this prime minister".

And at the TUC in Brighton he accused the PM of "running away from scrutiny" on the first day of Parliament's highly-contentious shutdown as the Brexit clock ticks down.

Mr Corbyn told union members: "No-one can trust the word of a prime minister who is threatening to break the law to force through no-deal.

"So a general election is coming. But we won't allow Johnson to dictate the terms."

Mr Corbyn was delivering a speech where he promised to put power “in the hands of workers,” when he made the remarks.

He announced that a Labour government would establish a Ministry for Employment Rights, saying it would herald the biggest extension of rights for workers ever seen in the UK.

The aim is to deliver better wages, greater security and give workers more of a say over how their workplaces are run, he said.

Labour was on the side of the people against the “born-to-rule establishment” represented by Prime Minister Johnson, he told delegates.