Jeremy Corbyn's Glasgow speech praises social enterprise

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Jeremy CorbynImage source, Getty Images

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged a shake up in the economy to give more support to businesses that operate in the wider interests of the community.

He made the call during a visit to Glasgow.

Mr Corbyn argued public confidence had been undermined by irresponsible behaviour by a minority of firms.

During his latest trip to Scotland, Mr Corbyn visited a housing association and attended a party fund-raising dinner.

The Labour leader cited the example of a Scottish sandwich shop enterprise which diverts profits to good causes and employs formerly homeless people.

Mr Corbyn contrasted that with what he called the "excess of a few" during the financial crisis. Britain, he said, should promote firms which "don't lock out trade unions and don't rely on zero hours contracts".

'Revitalised Labour'

Mr Corbyn also branded last week's Conservative Party conference in Manchester "a feast of spin and deception".

He told his Glasgow audience: "Fake claims to be on the side of working people while robbing three million low paid families of £1,300 a year with the Tax Credit cuts.

"350,000 families in Scotland receive tax credits, more than 50,000 in Glasgow are at risk from these Tory cuts.

"Fake claims to be fighting poverty on the very day independent research revealed their cuts would drive more than 200,000 working households into poverty.

"Fake claims to support equality as Theresa May was condemned by the Institute of Directors for jeopardising Britain's economic recovery by pandering to anti-immigration sentiment.

"Our huge and growing membership, a revitalised Labour, is what has rattled Cameron and the Tories. While they hide behind crude personal attacks, we will continue to judge their actions, not their words because Labour stands with the many, the great majority of the British people who demand a fairer and more equal society."

Whilst acknowledging Mr Corbyn's anti-austerity rhetoric, the SNP reaction to his speech was one of scepticism.

SNP MSP Sandra White said: "Jeremy Corbyn is right to highlight the appalling impact of the Tory's cuts to tax credits and continued commitment to austerity - which begs the question why his shadow chancellor has already said that he'll mandate Labour MPs to vote with the Tories for George Osborne's fiscal plans, and why his party worked shoulder to shoulder with the Tories throughout the referendum campaign."