by Zoe Streatfield, in Perth

JEREMY Corbyn told the Scottish Labour conference yesterday that there was “no contradiction” between Labour’s founding principles of promoting peace and defending jobs.

Speaking in Perth, he said that Labour must secure every job in the arms industry, adding that those skills could be put to better use.

Ahead of the Trident debate tomorrow, Mr Corbyn said: “No-one should even consider allocating a penny saved on not renewing Trident until those skills and jobs are protected through a proper programme of diversification.”

The Labour leader branded the Trade Union Bill “just as much an attack on working people’s living standards as the tax credits cut,” stressing that unions are the best means to secure job security and better pay.

He paid tribute to Labour-led local authorities in Scotland which have “promised not to assist in this draconian attack on the right of working people to organise.”

He called for conference to remain united against the Tory government in Westminster and attacked ministers for their utter failure to respond to the crisis in the steel industry.

Mr Corbyn said he had met steelworkers in Scunthorpe who were worried that the Tories did not care about steel communities and had no industrial strategy or long-term economic plan “other than their ideological commitment to shrink the state.”

He echoed many calls at conference to fight for every steel job under threat and accused the Westminster and Scottish governments of failing to procure British steel for infrastructure projects.

Mr Corbyn called on the party to reach out to those who felt alienated from the political system and said his resounding election victory and the accompanying huge jump in Labour membership constituted a strong mandate for change in the party.

He welcomed moves to give Scottish Labour more autonomy over policy and candidate selections, but added: “There will still be a united labour movement” across Britain.

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith, in his speech to conference, also attacked Labour’s right wing for continuing to “carp from the sidelines.”

He said: “In falling over themselves to offer comment to the right-wing press, it seems that they fail to recognise that they lost the argument — and lost it spectacularly.”

Reaction: Samantha Ritchie, STUC youth committee chair and Paisley CLP

Jeremy Corbyn captures the hearts and minds of so many young people. He makes me so proud to be a member. He revitalises our movement with an anti-austerity agenda, pro-trade unions and anti-nuclear weapons.

Jeremy Corbyn showed us all today what it means to be a Labour member.

Reaction: Suzanne Cullinane, student, Cunninghame South CLP, who introduced Corbyn to the stage

Jeremy’s speech shows us that the Labour Party is now going in the right direction.

It is great to hear a leader be proud to call for socialism and talk about solidarity among working-class people.

People lost faith in our party as they believed we no longer represented the lives of ordinary people. That has changed. We are going back to the socialist roots this party was built on.