Jeremy Corbyn has said he will definitely still be leader of the Labour party until 2020.
Mr Corbyn said he takes his "share of responsibility" for Labour's historic loss in the Copeland by-election, but he said support for the party had been "falling for some time".
The Labour leader told told Sky News: “It’s an area that is very reliant on one industry, namely Sellafield nuclear processing.
"What it needs, and I think we tried to point this out during the campaign — Gillian [Troughton, the Labour candidate] certainly did — is the need for investment in new industries and new jobs all along the Cumbrian coast.”
When asked whether he would remain as Labour leader until the 2020 election, Mr Corbyn said: "I've been elected twice to lead this party. I'm very proud and very honoured to lead this party. All my energies go into leading this party. All our party members' energies go in towards campaigning for this party."
Pushed further for an answer, Mr Corbyn added: "I'm carrying on as leader because I'm determined that we will deliver social justice in this country.
"We will end the misery of people sleeping on our streets and children growing up in disgusting and disgraceful poverty and growing levels of inequality promoted by a Tory government that frankly just doesn't care."
When the interviewer noted he hadn't actually answered the question, Mr Corbyn replied: "I've given you a very, very clear answer. Yes!"
Speaking at the Scottish Labour Party conference in Perth, Mr Corbyn insisted Labour and its policies are "needed more than ever" but told his party they must "remain united" if they are to win.
In a rallying cry to his party, he said: "Now is not the time to retreat, to run away or give up."
He stated: "Comrades, let us never forget it's not called the struggle for nothing."
With the UK's "rigged economy" leaving millions of people in poverty and reliant on foodbanks, he insisted: "It is a radical Labour programme that is needed more now than ever
"Labour is needed now more than ever. The policies and ideas we are setting out are policies whose time has come
"But to win that fight we need to remain united. United in our belief in our movement. United in our commitment to once again make our society fairer, better and more just.
"And united so we can provide our people with the hope they desperately deed."
