‘I won’t disappear’: Jeremy Corbyn wants a frontbench role once he stands down as Labour leader despite taking party to election disaster

• Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he will not disappear once he steps down as leader
• He appeared to hint a desire to become Shadow Foreign Secretary in interview
• Mr Corbyn sidestepped questions to endorse a specific leadership candidate

Jeremy Corbyn has suggested he may try to cling on to a role on Labour’s frontbench.

Despite delivering the party’s worst election result since 1935, Mr Corbyn yesterday insisted he will not be disappearing when he steps down as party leader next month.

Appearing on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Mr Corbyn, 70, also appeared to hint a desire to become Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Mr Corbyn said: ‘I’m going to be very busy doing campaigning work on the economy, human rights and environmental issues – I am not disappearing from anywhere.’

Despite delivering the party’s worst election result since 1935, Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) yesterday insisted he will not be disappearing when he steps down as party leader next month

Asked if he had his eye on a Shadow Cabinet post, he replied: ‘Well, I have always spent my life trying to deal with issues of human rights and justice around the world, and that is something – whether I have a position or not is not important.

‘What’s important is we use the honour of holding public office to hold executives to account, but also to hold the unaccountable to account for those who are fighting for their human rights around the world.’   

Mr Corbyn sidestepped questions to endorse a specific leadership candidate before saying he is ‘determined that our party remains an anti-austerity party, remains dedicated to peace and human rights around the world’. 

Rebecca Long-Bailey (right), Lisa Nandy (middle) and Sir Keir Starmer (left) are the three remaining candidates in the Labour leadership election

Appearing on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Mr Corbyn, 70, also appeared to hint a desire to become Shadow Foreign Secretary

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Sir Keir Starmer are the three remaining candidates in the Labour leadership election. 

Mr Corbyn also asked members to ‘think through’ what they want for the party and society, and who will ‘carry forward the anti-austerity agenda’ and strengthen democracy in the party.

Pressed on the role of shadow foreign secretary, Mr Corbyn joked: ‘Are you suggesting something?’ 

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