Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hits out at 'rigged system'
The opposition leader argues the Tories have "spectacularly failed even to begin to share the wealth fairly across society".
Saturday 14 January 2017 15:16, UK
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has attacked what he calls a "rigged system" in Britain where "power is in the wrong hands".
In a speech to the Fabian Society, he hit out at the Government, saying: "The Prime Minister may say she wants a shared society but the Tories have spectacularly failed even to begin to share the wealth fairly across society or the nations or regions."
He claimed power, wealth and opportunity "lies in hands of the privileged few" and was concentrated in and around London.
He said: "The people who run Britain have been taking our country for a ride. They've stitched up our political system to protect the powerful."
He also accused the Conservatives of slashing taxes for the richest - with cuts of £70bn over the next five years - while cutting pay and public services.
It comes as Labour faces another battle for voters after former shadow education secretary to become director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
His departure triggers a by-election in Stoke-on-Trent Central.
The party is already facing a by-election in Copeland and Leigh after the resignation of Jamie Reed and Sky sources say at least two other senior Labour MPs are considering quitting.
Labour backbencher Hilary Benn defended the state of the party, telling Sky News: "The challenge for us as a political party is to ensure that we can win the people’s trust and confidence at a time that is very turbulent in the world."
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron responded to the speech by claiming Mr Corbyn was "haemorrhaging decent, hard-working MPs".
He added: "This is a Labour leader failing to hold the Government to account and allowing Theresa May to push forward with reckless, divisive, and uncaring policies."
In his speech, Mr Corbyn said: "The Leave (EU) and Trump campaigns succeeded because they both recognised the system was broken and the people weren't being listened to.
"We're going to call time on this rigged system because power is in the wrong hands."
He promised to take failing care homes into public ownership if Labour gets into government, warning that the social care system is at "serious risk of breakdown".
He argued that rising costs and falling fee payments from councils have seen 380 care home businesses declared insolvent since 2010.
Mr Corbyn also pointed to figures from the Care Quality Commission which found last year that one in five nursing homes did not have sufficient staff on duty to ensure residents received good care.
Labour MP John Mann said Mr Corbyn should be "far more radical", telling Sky News: "I think the entire social care budget should be run by the NHS."
The opposition leader accused the Government of standing by while "wages are driven down, industry declines and public services are sent into meltdown".
He claimed the Conservatives have been cutting council budgets by at least 40% and have "devolved austerity" instead of creating a "northern powerhouse".
Mr Corbyn said in a post-Brexit Britain it was "vital that the Government gives local authorities more powers and resources to innovate and generate prosperity and, crucially, to reduce inequality at the same time".