Earn more, work less: Corbyn's pledge for a new economy

Labour will harness the technological revolution to usher in a 'new settlement between work and leisure', Jeremy Corbyn will say today, presenting his party as a radical alternative government-in-waiting.

Jeremy Corbyn high-fives shadow foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry. Picture: Getty

Claiming that Labour are on the threshold of power and “ready for government”, Mr Corbyn will pledge to sweep away a “degraded regime” of economic inequality that contributed to the Grenfell Tower disaster and deliver “power to the people”.

At the end of an energised party conference in Brighton, Mr Corbyn accuse the Tories of failing in Brexit talks and call on Theresa May to “pull yourself together or make way”.

And the Labour leader will drive home his claim to be the only leader with a “unifying socialist message” for Scotland, telling SNP voters that he was the true “champion of social justice” north of the border.

Last night Labour officials claimed the ‘Corbynomics’ of using higher taxes on wealth to fund investment in and renationalisation of public services had become “the new common sense”.

“Our message to the country could not be clearer: Labour is ready,” Mr Corbyn will say.

“Ready to tackle inequality. Ready to rebuild our NHS. Ready to give opportunity to young people, dignity and security to older people.

“Ready to invest in our economy and meet the challenges of climate change and automation. Ready to put peace and justice at the heart of foreign policy. “And ready to build a new and progressive relationship with Europe. We are ready for government.”

In a striking warning that automation threatens to “make so much of contemporary work redundant” if technological change is left “in the hands of the greedy”, Mr Corbyn will call for a “planned and managed” economy that makes “technology our servant and not our master at long last”.

Labour will commit to re-skilling millions of workers with a pledge to provide free further education for all in England at a cost of £2.5bn per year, with Scotland gaining a proportion of some of that funding through the Barnett formula.

The commitment to lifelong learning will ensure technology is “a springboard for expanded creativity and culture” that results in a more productive economy with higher pay and shorter hours for workers, Mr Corbyn will claim.

The Labour leader will admit his party failed to do enough to win power at the general election in June, but will say: “Our message of hope, of optimism that things can change resonated in Scotland.

“The Scottish people understand Labour is again the champion of social justice.”

And he will pay tribute to the former leader of Scottish Labour Kezia Dugdale.