Len McCluskey: 200 seats would be a 'successful campaign' for Labour

Leader of the country's largest trade union, and prominent Jeremy Corbyn backer, has all but written off any prospect of a Labour victory

Mr McCluskey says his support for Jeremy Corbyn remains 'rock solid' (PA)

Union leader and Jeremy Corbyn supporter Len McCluskey said it would constitute a “successful campaign” if Labour win 200 seats at the general election, down from the 232 it currently holds.

Mr McCluskey, who recently won another five year term as general secretary of Unite, the country’s largest trade union, blamed Mr Corbyn’s woes on bias against him in the media and party infighting, in an interview with Politico magazine.

“The scale of the task is immense. People like me are always optimistic … things can happen. But I don’t see Labour winning. I think it would be extraordinary,” Mr McCluskey said.

“I believe that if Labour can hold on to 200 seats or so it will be a successful campaign,” he said. “It will mean that Theresa May will have had an election, will have increased her majority but not dramatically.”

Mr McCluskey added that traditional Labour voters considering voting Conservative for the first time were having “their mind turned by the constant attack of the media on Jeremy Corbyn and the image that they’ve pinned on Jeremy.”

He said his support for the Labour leader remained “rock solid". If Labour lose the election next month by a large margin, Mr Corbyn will need to maintain that support if he wishes to carry on leading the party.