Jeremy Corbyn has defended not having given an interview to a women’s magazine until now.
Speaking to Grazia, the Labour leader said the demands of the campaign “were huge and the time very limited”.
“Well, the campaign was 100 events all around the country. If we could have fit it in we would have,” he said.
Corbyn was responding to the interviewer who complained he had given interviews to two men’s magazines and one music magazine before he spoke to Grazia.
The Labour leader did however give an interview to Stylist magazine in June.
Corbyn told Grazia: “Listen, we have policies including gender pay audits. We have a policy in the Labour Party of women-only shortlists, 61% of all selections made are from women-only shortlists.
Corbyn also said he is “horrified” by the sexual harassment allegations that have rocked Westminster and said some of the cases were “disturbing”.
As an MP for 35 years, Corbyn was asked whether he had heard whispers about inappropriate conduct.
“Not many whispers, no. I was very shocked,” he said. “I’m horrified and appalled by it all. I think sexism is a real challenge in society that needs to be dealt with. The allegations are all investigated and dealt with as appropriate. We support the people making them as well as the people being alleged against.”
The Labour leader said he was “utterly determined” that his party’s events would be a safe place for women to go.
He also predicted he will likely be prime minister within the next 12 months. “We will probably win. I’m ready to be prime minister tomorrow,” he said.
Corbyn’s comments came as Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, said Labour would move “decisively above the Tories in the opinion polls” in 2018.
She told BBC Newsnight: “I have a confidence about that. The Tories are in a state, their negotiations are a shambles, last week they couldn’t even get their legislation through the House of Commons so it could well be in 2018 that we’ll get a General Election.”