Jeremy Corbyn brands Boris Johnson ‘unfit to be PM’ and demands election as Labour conference crowd chants ‘Johnson out’

Labour leader announces plans for state-funded generic drug manufacturer to make life-saving medicines cheaper

Jeremy Corbyn has branded Boris Johnson unfit to be prime minister, as he demanded an early election as soon as a no-deal Brexit is off the table.

Speaking to Labour’s conference in Brighton hours after a devastating Supreme Court ruling found Mr Johnson’s suspension of parliament was unlawful, Mr Corbyn said the “tide is turning” on the Conservative government and promised to “put the people in power”.

The conference erupted into chants of “Johnson out” as the Labour leader repeated his call for the prime minister to resign.

There was loud applause for Mr Corbyn’s promises to end zero-hours contracts, scrap trade union legislation, nationalise rail, mail, water and the national grid and introduce free personal care for the elderly.

And Corbyn announced that a Labour government would make life-saving drugs more easily available by establishing a new publicly-owned generic medicine manufacturer and requiring pharmaceutical companies in receipt of public funds for research to make their products affordable for all.

In a speech which was brought forward a day in order to allow the Labour leader to return to Westminster, Mr Corbyn denounced Mr Johnson as “part of an elite that disdains democracy”.

“Tomorrow parliament will return,” said Mr Corbyn. “The government will be held to account for what it has done.

“Boris Johnson has been found to have misled the country. This unelected prime minister should now resign…

“He thought he could do whatever he liked just as he always does. He thinks he’s above us all. He is part of an elite that disdains democracy. He is not fit to be prime minister.”

And he said: “This crisis can only be settled with a general election. That election needs to take place as soon as this government’s threat of a disastrous no-deal is taken off the table.”

After a conference riven by disagreement over Brexit and rancour over an abortive attempt to remove deputy leader Tom Watson, Mr Corbyn produced the pre-election display of passion and unity which Labour had been hoping for, winning ovation after ovation from delegates as he told them: "The tide is turning.The years of retreat and defeat are coming to an end. Together, we’ll take on the privileged, and put the people in power."