“I don’t see this leadership election as a distraction. I see it as a massive opportunity,” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told a cheering crowd of over 5,000 people at a rain-sodden rally in Liverpool.
The turnout meant police were forced to close roads around St George’s Plateau in the centre of the city, despite the event having only been organised two days previously.
Supporters descended on the square carrying banners reading “unity is strength”, “Scousers for Corbyn” and “Our party Our leader Jeremy Corbyn”, in a huge show of support for the leader who faces a leadership election at the hands of disgruntled MPs.
But Mr Corbyn dismissed the idea that he lived in a “remote bubble of adulation”, saying he spends three days a week travelling across the UK campaigning and meeting people and said the crowd was the biggest he had yet addressed at one of his rallies.
“To be effective in politics you’ve got to listen to people, some of whom may not agree with you, some of whom may have criticisms, some of whom may have constructive suggestions for you,” he told the audience.
In a broad-ranging speech, he criticised the government’s record on housing, mental health and also referenced the Hillsborough disaster, paying tribute to Liverpudlians who had “braved the abuse, the nastiness, the horror of what the Murdoch press can do”.
“You won’t have read this in most of the papers,” Mr Corbyn said, “but this Tory government has been defeated 22 times in the past year alone.”
He also hailed social media, saying it is “so important as a means of bypassing the monopoly of the Murdoch media”, and called for people to reach out to each other within communities.
“Those that say this has been unpopular and had no effect, if that’s the case, how come there are 540,000 people in Britain who are members of the Labour party?”
The rally comes as Mr Corbyn’s campaign to keep his leadership of the party won support from the Communication Workers’ Union.
It is his third union endorsement ahead of the vote in September. Aslef, the train drivers’ union and Ucatt, the union for workers in the construction sector have both already pledged their support.
Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn’s rival, Owen Smith, launched his manifesto promising workplace rights in Britain would be “the envy of the world” under his leadership.
The Labour party has announced dates for five leadership hustings over the coming month, which will be held in Cardiff on 4 August, Nottinghamshire on 17 August, Birmingham on 18 August, Glasgow on 25 August and London on 1 September.
