Jeremy Corbyn calls for general election after Theresa May’s resignation

He has called for an 'immediate' vote to oust the 'disintegrating' Tory party.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for a general election following the announcement of Theresa May’s resignation date.

Blasting the Tories as a ‘disintegrating’ party unable to lead the country, he said the next Tory leader must ‘let the people decide on the country’s future’.

Speaking after May tearfully admitted she had failed to pass her Brexit deal, the Leader of the Opposition said: ‘She has now accepted what the country has known for month: she cannot govern, and nor can her divided and disintegrating party.

‘The Conservative Party has utterly failed the country over Brexit and is unable to improve people’s lives or deal with their most pressing needs.’

He added that the Conservatives had offered ‘no solution’ to parliament being in ‘deadlock’.

Corbyn continued: ‘Whoever becomes the new Conservative leader must let the people decide our country’s future, through an immediate General Election.’

Today May announced she would be resigning as Prime Minister on June 7.

In the last few weeks, she has faced growing opposition by her own party over concessions made to get her EU Withdrawal Agreement through the Commons.

Hard Brexiteers have been unhappy over promises of a second EU referendum if MPs backed her bill.

May also said her revised bill – which on three previous occasions failed to get through parliament – would also include concessions on workers’ rights and environmental protections.

The new proposal, which was due to be voted on in the week starting June 3, also included a ‘compromise’ over Labour’s request to stay in the customs union.

Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is now the favourite to take over as PM, but his position over Brexit could see him face difficulties forming a Cabinet unless he softens his stance on a no-deal exit.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary Sajid Javid have also fielded themselves, along with former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, former Commons Speaker Andrea Leadsom, Leave champion Michael Gove and newly-promoted defence chief Penny Mordaunt.