Jeremy Corbyn vows to carry on even if MPs try to oust him

The Leader of the Opposition was elected to head the Labour Party with a huge mandate from party members and supporters despite negligible support from his MPs.

At the start of his first party conference as leader, Mr Corbyn said Labour MPs would not force him out.

Mr Corbyn told the Observer he would need to lose a full leadership contest before leaving his post.

He said: “There is a democratic process in the party and that can be operated at any time.

“But am I going to resign? No. Of course not.

“No. No. I will carry on.”

The Parliamentary Labour Party can trigger a leadership contest if 20 per cent of them - 46 of the 232 Labour MPs - unite behind an alternative candidate.

But in the interview, Mr Corbyn insisted he could see himself as Prime Minister in five years’ time, adding: “I think about the issues, the opportunities and the responsibilities that go with that, of course.”

Amid continuing disputes over party policy and ahead of a crunch emergency conference debate on Trident, Labour is due to review how it makes policy.

Activists will be told of moves to involve the members and supporters who swept Mr Corbyn to the leadership.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said the leader wanted to hear the views of grassroots activists and the supporters who paid £3 to take part in the election.

“We see Jeremy’s election as the party telling us they want more open and democratic politics,” the spokesman said.

“We are launching a review of how we make policy and how we can make it more inclusive.”

The review will be formally announced by shadow cabinet minister Angela Eagle at the conference and will also look at the “use of technology” in the policy-making process.

Shadow culture secretary and Barnsley East MP Michael Dugher warned against any attempt to introduce mandatory reselection of MPs saying it would be “totally destructive”.

Although Mr Corbyn’s team has repeatedly said he does not want to require MPs to face reselection by their local parties, some of his leading supporters strongly back the idea.