Paris attacks: Jeremy Corbyn cancels leadership speech

Jeremy Corbyn has cancelled a planned speech in light of the Paris terror attacks which have increased the threat to national security. The Labour leader had planned to talk about foreign policy, the economy, politics, and comment on conflicts dating back 14 years, including the operations against extremist group Islamic State (Isis), and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a tweet on Friday night (13 November) he condemned the Paris attacks, calling them "heinous and immoral."

Prime Minister David Cameron had criticised Mr Corbyn about his reticence over Trident, Britain's nuclear deterrent saying the Labour leader could not be trusted with Britain's national security. Corbyn had also said the UK should "look again" at its participation in the bombing campaign against IS.

Excerpts from the speech, which were released in advance, included the "strongest language yet" which criticises UK's involvement in the fight against IS in Iraq, linking it to the wars begun in 2001 in Afghanistan under Tony Blair's premiership.

In the speech to Labour's East of England conference he had been expected to say: "For the past 14 years, Britain has been at the centre of a succession of disastrous wars that have brought devastation to large parts of the wider Middle East...They have increased, not diminished, the threats to our own national security in the process."

"How is it patriotic to take money from the poorest, from working families, and hand control of your country to a super-rich elite?"

During his speech, he was also due to set out "where his leadership has come from", and where he wants "this movement Labour has launched to go, what we want to achieve and what our vision for Britain is all about". Corbyn was due to call for "a different kind of foreign policy - based on a new and more independent relationship with the rest of the world".

Although the speech will not be delivered to the gathering In Stevenage, a source close to the Labour leader confirmed the political meeting would still take place. The regional party conference in Hertfordshire, at which Mr Corbyn had been scheduled to talk, will still go ahead.

Another world political figure who altered his schedule in light of the attacks include Iranian president Hassan Rouhani. He had planned to make a state visit to France on Sunday before going on to Italy.

France was one of the world powers involved in recent negotiations with the Islamic Republic over its controversial nuclear programme. Iran itself has been a victim of the scourge of terrorism and the fight against terrorism must go on. Rouhani sent a message to French Prime Minister Francois Hollande calling the attacks "crimes against humanity", news agencies in both countries reported.