Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn used a speech in Kent to put his party on general election alert, should attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal with the government fail.

On a visit to Medway to launch the party’s manifesto for the forthcoming European Parliament election, he said that the country could be going to the polls if no compromise deal could be agreed in talks between his party and the Conservative government.

He said that it was difficult to negotiate with a party that was disintegrating, with cabinet ministers jockeying for the succession, rather than working for an agreement.

Jeremy Corbyn launches the Labour manifesto for the European elections

“A general election cannot be far away," he said in his speech on the Medway Campus of the University of Kent in Chatham Maritime.

"You cannot keep putting forward a deal for which there is no majority in the Conservative Party and no majority in Parliament as a whole.”

He also said that a second referendum could act as a healing process.

He added: “The view we put forward, the party conference put this forward, the national executive agreed this, [was] that we should include the option of having a ballot on a public vote on the outcome of the talks and negotiations on what we’re putting forward.

"I would want that to be seen as a healing process, and bringing this whole process to a conclusion."

He rejected claims his party's position on Brexit was confusing to voters and had cost them support at the council elections.

Asked if he thought that people found it difficult to understand the party's policy on Brexit and that confusion had adversely affected it's performance in local council elections last week, he said: “I don't think it was confusing at all.

"I think it was a sensible message, saying we understand what is happening.

"We have put forward a view that we should have an opportunity to improve social cohesion in our society.

"That was what we put forward in the council elections.”

He said that Labour was taking the elections to the European Parliament seriously and that those elected would continue to work Until the UK left the European Union.

"We are contesting these elections very seriously because we want people there for as long as they need to be...we are not going to solve climate change on our own."

It was the first visit by Mr Corbyn to Kent since he became leader in 2015.

Head to our politics page for expert analysis and all the latest news from your politicians and councils.

For more election news, click here.

How is Brexit going to affect Kent? For all the latest news, views and analysis visit our dedicated page here.