Jeremy Corbyn: 'Only 84 per cent of media coverage is hostile'

'They could up their game and get it up to 90 per cent, or they could be fairer'

Jeremy Corbyn has claimed an overwhelming proportion of media coverage is hostile towards him.

Asked on ITV's Peston on Sunday if he felt some media outlets were against him, the Labour Leader said: "Only 84 per cent of the media reporting of the Labour party in the last year has been hostile, so they could up their game and get it up to 90 per cent – or they could be fairer."

A majority of the British public believe the media is deliberately biased against Mr Corbyn and is seeking to portray him in a negative light.

Just 29 per cent of British adults disagreed that the “mainstream media as a whole has been deliberately biasing coverage to portray Jeremy Corbyn in a negative manner” when asked by pollsters YouGov.

Mr Corbyn was speaking ahead of the Labour leadership election, which sees his position as leader challenged by Owen Smith.

Ballots close on Wednesday 21 September and the winner will be announced at the Labour Party Special Conference in Liverpool on Saturday 24 September.

On Friday, Mr Smith warned there were five days left to "save the Labour Party" from Mr Corbyn.

The MP for Pontypridd served in Mr Corbyn’s shadow cabinet but later resigned from the post of shadow Work and Pensions Secretary.

Mr Corbyn has said he will welcome rebel Labour MPs back to his frontbench if he wins the leadership election.