Eight things we learned from Jeremy Corbyn's interviews

Labour leader reveals latest policy directions across string of morning media appearances

Jeremy Corbyn on ‘Good Morning Britain’ (ITV)

Here are eight things we learnt from Jeremy Corbyn’s round of media interviews:

1. He doesn’t like the idea that he’s being relaunched

Over the Christmas break, a series of apparently well-sourced stories appeared in the press detailing plans to “relaunch” the Labour leader as a left-wing populist to ride the tide of anti-politics sentiment among voters.

But when Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid asked him what the “reboot” was all about, he seemed surprised.

The reboot was something she had dreamt up, he suggested.

He certainly didn’t need any new boots because he was “very well-shod, thank you”.

2. He is even less keen on being compared to Donald Trump

“Senior Labour figures” have recently been quoted suggesting that – despite the gaping chasm between their political beliefs – Mr Corbyn might benefit from adopting some of the President-elect’s bullish style in standing up for disgruntled voters who feel they have not been listened to.

But the Labour leader was having none of it.

Any comparison with Trump was “bizarre”, as the President-elect espoused “a kind of buccaneer capitalism which I totally disagree with” and his comments about Muslims, Mexicans and women were “disgraceful”, the Labour leader said.

Mr Corbyn did concede that Trump had managed to mobilise “naffed-off” voters, which he could see the merit in.

And he said he was still willing to take the future president to a London mosque for a chat over a cup of tea to “help him with his prejudices”.

3. Labour still doesn’t have a settled message on EU migration

Mr Corbyn’s speech was billed as the moment he would accept some limits on free movement, announcing the party was “not wedded” to the principle.

But when pressed on the issue on air, he appeared to indicate he was ready to accept EU migration as the price for access to the European single market.

His priority was on preventing the undercutting of wages by exploited migrant workers, which would “probably” reduce numbers of incomers, he said.

But he added that “we're not saying anyone couldn't come”.

Meanwhile, he acknowledged that other Labour MPs – including his own shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer – had put forward “fairly specific ideas” on how migration could be limited but did not spell out whether he agreed with them.

4. He thinks it’s possible to earn too much money

In the most eye-catching announcement of his round of TV and radio interviews, the Labour leader told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme he would like to see a maximum earnings limit to reduce inequalities in society.

He did not say where the cap should be set but said it would be “somewhat higher” than the £138,000 he earns as an MP and Leader of the Opposition.

5. He thinks some footballers are earning crazy money

He made no attempt to hide his distaste for the megabucks salaries of the Premier League elite, comparing them to big business bosses who earn “utterly ridiculous” sums.

And he suggested that Arsene Wenger – manager of his beloved Arsenal – would agree.

As “an accountant at heart”, Wenger would probably back a maximum wage cap on the whole of the Premier League, said Mr Corbyn.

6. He is in favour of long-serving Islington residents keeping their jobs despite failing to win competitions

Tweeting ahead of the interviews, the Labour leader said he would “talk some sense” into fellow Arsenal fan Piers Morgan, who has conducted a long and outspoken campaign for Wenger to be sacked for his failure to win the English title since 2004.

Mr Corbyn was quick to leap to the manager’s defence when Morgan presented him with an Arsenal shirt, telling him: “Can we dedicate it to Arsene Wenger? I think he’s done a great job for Arsenal.”

7. He would join striking Southern Rail workers on the picket line... but not today, because he’s busy

Despite recognising that passengers were “utterly fed up”, Mr Corbyn insisted it was the “appalling service” offered by Southern which had got them angry.

He told the Today programme he would be ready to join the railway workers’ picket lines but later told Sky News that he couldn’t do it today because he had a shadow cabinet meeting to attend.

8. He really thinks the press should focus more on council elections

Some Westminster observers have suggested that Labour’s fourth place in Sleaford and deposit-losing 3.7% vote in Richmond Park are a cause for concern.

Over recent months, Mr Corbyn has repeatedly sought to counter the idea by pointing to Labour successes in local council by-elections – some of them attracting tiny numbers of voters.

He was at it again today, telling Reid and Morgan that, of course, he wished Labour had done better in the Commons by-elections but local authority polls were important, too.

PA