Labour needs to win in 2020 to bring about real change in Britain, Jeremy Corbyn says
'It's been said the Labour movement improves people people's lives when we win elections: that's absolutely true, we have to win elections, we have to fight as hard as we can'
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Your support makes all the difference.Isolated campaign victories won in opposition are no substitute for a Labour government when it comes to bringing about real social change, Jeremy Corbyn has said.
Speaking at the annual conference of the New Labour pressure group Progress Mr Corbyn listed a string of recent campaign victories achieved under his leadership -- but said only Labour victory at a general election could genuinely change the country.
He warned that "no matter how many" isolated campaigns were successful, the party would need to win a majority in parliament to do its job properly.
"It's been said the Labour movement improves people people's lives when we win elections: that's absolutely true, we have to win elections, we have to fight as hard as we can," he said.
"No matter how many campaigning we win -- and we have won a few, and I hope we'll win quite a few more as time goes on -- the reality is we don't have a majority in Parliament, we don't have a Labour government.
"I want us to have that and to win that in 2020 or if David Cameron feels like it we could have it a bit sooner."
The leader's statement echoes the rhetoric and claims of his critics, who say Mr Corbyn isn't doing enough to win the next election in 2020.
MPs associated with Progress have been amongst Mr Corbyn's chief internal detractors since he was elected as leader in September 2015 -- and the leader's appearance today was made in front of a potentially tough crowd.
Despite the venue the Labour leader however avoided any embarrassing incidents, with delegates politely applauding during his speech and no heckling.
He noted that despite having been an MP since the 1980s this was the first time he had attended the gathering, which is closely associated with the party's New Labour wing, including Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Mr Corbyn was thanked for his appearance by Alison McGoven, the Labour MP who chairs Progress. She said she valued the Labour leader's commitment to open debate in the party despite wider disagreements.
Taking questions from the audience after a speech, Mr Corbyn assured worried Labour supporters that he was doing all he could to tackle the recent row over alleged antisemitism in the party.
"Antisemitism is wrong and has to be totally opposed and totally defeated, period," he said, adding that he would support a party rule change to make it clear Labour was "absolutely a totally anti racist" organisation.
Rumblings of a leadership coup by hostile against Mr Corbyn have moved into the background since this month's set of local elections, where Labour achieved a better than expected result.
The Islington MP however told Progress delegates that the result was "not good enough" and that the party needed to do more to win in 2020.
He said the party was launching a review into how the party could reach out to workers left behind by previous policies, including the self-employed and private sector workers.
The Government has U-turned on a number of key policies since Mr Corbyn came to power -- including tax credit cuts, disability benefit cuts, and the forced academisation of schools.
While the Government has faced significant opposition from its own MPs on all those measures, Labour has also stood opposed and isolated the Tory leadership, with Mr Corbyn claiming some credit for the victories.
Labour came third in the Scottish Parliament elections for the first time earlier this month, losing second place to a resurgent Tory party led by MSP Ruth Davidon.
It however remained by far the largest party in Wales and retained many key marginal councils in the south of England, where the party has to do well to win a majority.
The party also won significant victories in urban centres such as London and Bristol, where it captured mayoralties it had previously lacked.
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