UK election: Bernie Sanders congratulates Jeremy Corbyn, saying he is 'delighted' at the result

Veteran US senator praises Labour for 'very positive and effective campaign'

Bernie Sanders said Jeremy Corbyn had run a 'very positive and effective campaign' (Getty)

Bernie Sanders has congratulated Jeremy Corbyn after Labour exceeded expectations in the general election and looks to be on course to increase its number of parliamentary seats.

The former Democratic presidential candidate said he had stayed up to watch UK results come in and was “delighted” at what he had seen.

“I am delighted to see Labour do so well”, he told the Washington Post. “All over the world people are rising up against austerity and massive levels of income and wealth inequality. People in the UK, the US and elsewhere want governments that represent all the people, not just the 1 per cent. I congratulate Jeremy Corbyn for running a very positive and effective campaign.”

Mr Sanders had spoken warmly of Mr Corbyn during a visit to the UK earlier this month. Answering a question from The Independent following a speech at the Cambridge Union, the senator said: “Corbyn has shown a lot of courage in dealing with some of the economic issues.

“I applaud Jeremy Corbyn for raising those issues because at the end of the day if we are going to create governments that work for all of us, if we’re going to deal with healthcare and create great education systems and protect the environment and combat climate change… we need to have a government of what Abraham Lincoln described as of the people, by the people and for the people, and not a government of billionaires and large, multinational corporations. So I applaud Corbyn for raising those issues.”

Mr Corbyn has defied his critics in leading Labour to what looks set to be its best election result in years. Projections suggest the party is on course to receive 40 per cent of the vote, giving it 265 seats.

Speaking earlier in the night, Mr Corbyn said Labour had “changed the face of British politics”. He said: “I want to send my thanks to everyone who voted for our manifesto and its radical vision for a fairer Britain.

“Our team has worked so hard on this campaign – from door knocking to social media – and it’s great we have won so much support across the country. Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better.”

Mr Corbyn also called on Theresa May to resign.

"The prime minister called this election because she wanted a mandate”, he said after retaining his Islington North seat with an increased majority. “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, actually, and make way for a government that will be truly representative of all of the people of this country."