Jeremy Corbyn launches Labour’s election campaign, full text

It’s great to be launching our campaign in Greater Manchester where you showed the way for the rest of the country by electing a Labour mayor, Andy Burnham.Andy will be a great mayor – but just think how much more he will be able to achieve if he is working with a Labour Government committed to the many not the few.

We have four weeks. Four weeks to take our message to voters to convince them Britain can be better. It can be transformed. It doesn’t have to be like this. We can transform Britain into a country that – instead of being run for the rich – is a one where everyone can lead richer lives.And I mean richer in every sense. Richer because all of us have potential to fulfil, family to support, interests to pursue, richer when that potential is not held back. Because there is no doubt; Britain is being held back.

If your children aren’t getting the education they deserve because class sizes are too high. Then your children are being held back. If you’re a young couple, or anyone trying to get a home and can’t make a home because rent and house prices are too high. Then you’re being held back. And if you’ve worked hard all your life, but can’t pursue your dreams in retirement because you’re supporting your family well into adulthood. Then you too are being held back.

But Britain is a rich country – the sixth richest in the world. We caught a glimpse of that wealth only two days ago when Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times published its Rich List. In the last year, Britain’s 1,000 richest people have seen their wealth rise by 14 per cent to £658 billion – that’s nearly six times the budget of our NHS. Imagine the outcry if public sector workers put in for a 14 per...