I'll probably be in Downing Street within a year, claims Corbyn: Labour leader says he is 'ready to be Prime Minister tomorrow'

Labour leader said he'd probably win election and he's ready to be PM tomorrow
Corbyn also said there would likely be another election within next 12 months
Wide-ranging interview also touched on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

By John Stevens Deputy Political Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: 01:49 GMT, 19 December 2017 | Updated: 14:35 GMT, 19 December 2017

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Jeremy Corbyn risked being accused of arrogance yesterday after declaring he will be in Downing Street next year

Jeremy Corbyn risked being accused of arrogance yesterday after declaring he will be in Downing Street next year.

The Labour leader said he would ‘probably’ win an election and that he was ‘ready to be prime minister tomorrow’.

He claimed: ‘There will probably be another election in the next 12 months. We will probably win.’

It is not the first time he has made such bullish comments.

After appearing at Glastonbury Festival in June, he reportedly told its founder Michael Eavis that he would be in No 10 ‘by Christmas’.

And at the Labour Party conference in September, he told delegates his party was ‘on the threshold of power’.

However, Theresa May has beaten off her critics and will spend Christmas in Downing Street – where many MPs want her to remain.

As well as reiterating belief in his party’s imminent success, Mr Corbyn told women’s magazine Grazia that ‘untidiness’ was his worst trait.

The wide-ranging interview also touched on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming wedding.

Mr Corbyn, who is known for his republican beliefs, said: ‘She’s clearly a very decent person.’

The wide-ranging interview also touched on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming wedding. Mr Corbyn said he believed the cost 'should be borne by the family themselves'

The Royal Family will pay for the wedding, including the church service, the music, the flowers and the reception, Kensington Palace has said.

But the security costs for the high-profile celebration will fall to the taxpayer.

Mr Corbyn said: ‘Weddings come pretty pricey, I understand, but I think the cost should be borne by the family themselves.’

Asked about the Westminster sex harassment scandal, the Labour leader said he was ‘horrified’.

Bono's Labour pal to unite Remainers

Anti-Brexit campaigners have hired a millionaire former Labour minister to unite their factions.

Lord Malloch-Brown – a friend of U2 frontman Bono – yesterday declared it was ‘time we all fought back’ as he was made chairman of group Best For Britain.

The ex-diplomat, who was a foreign office minister under Gordon Brown, pledged to bring Brexit opponents together to fight the country’s departure from the EU.

He said: ‘The New Year is likely to see a much more co-ordinated campaign. It will be more emotional, looking at issues like the risk to the NHS. We need to sway public opinion nationally.’

But Remain-supporting Guardian columnist Matthew d’Ancona described him as ‘the incarnation of what made people vote Leave in the first place’.

Lord Malloch-Brown was deputy general secretary at the UN, before he was made a minister by Mr Brown in 2007.

The Marlborough-educated peer now sits as a crossbencher in the Lords. Best For Britain was set up using money donated by Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson.

He added that he had not heard tales of inappropriate conduct himself during his 35 years as an MP.

He said: ‘Not many whispers, no. I was very shocked.

I’m horrified and appalled by it all. I think sexism is a real challenge in society that needs to be dealt with.

‘The allegations are all investigated and dealt with as appropriate.

‘We support the people making them as well as the people being alleged against.’

Mr Corbyn said Labour was ‘not dealing with huge numbers’ of allegations but added: ‘We’re dealing with some cases and they are of course disturbing when you get them.

‘But we have a process, including a confidential hotline and an independent person to investigate. I’m utterly determined all Labour Party events will be a safe place for women to go.’

On Brexit, Mr Corbyn said that during the referendum campaign some people had been ‘extremely irresponsible in what they did and said’.

But he admitted: ‘We have to recognise it was the largest participation of people in an electoral process ever in Britain and they chose to leave.’

Pressed on why he was not campaigning to reverse the decision in a second referendum, he said: ‘I think we should continue putting pressure on the Government to allow a transition period to develop, because at the moment we’re in danger of getting into a complete mess in March 2019.’

At his keynote conference speech earlier this year, Mr Corbyn declared that Labour was ready for government and urged Mrs May to call another snap election.