Jeremy Corbyn says Donald Trump 'needs to grow up' about immigrants

Jeremy Corbyn has said President-elect Donald Trump needs to "grow up" over his stance regarding Mexicans and that his economic policies will not offer answers to the disenfranchised working class in the US.

Appearing on BBC's the Andrew Marr Show, the Labour Party leader explained the rise of the Republican candidate, who will become the 45th President of the United States on 20 January.

He blamed the failure of the "New Left" for Trump's success, but also offered an alternative vision for the future of left-wing politics in Britain.

Responding to Marr's question about Trump's demonisation of Hispanics, particularly with respect to Corbyn's Mexican wife Laura Alvarez, the Labour leader said: "I'm looking forward to the conversation between my wife and Donald Trump.

"She is a proud Mexican and she's proud to live here as well, and all of us want to live in a world where you actually tolerate and deal with each other."

In response to how Alvarez's family feels about the prospect of a wall going up to prevent Mexicans from entering the US, Corbyn said: "[They feel] absolute anger and outrage.

"Donald Trump should grow up and recognise the American economy actually depends on migrant labour. Last year, they had a day without Mexicans – they certainly noticed it.

"I think the treatment of Mexico by the US and just as much [Trump's] is absurd and abusive language towards Muslims is something that has to be challenged and should be challenged."

Corbyn added that instead of blaming immigrants, blame should be placed on corporate investment decisions which undercut worker's wages and union rights.

He added that the anti-immigrant sentiment felt by those who voted for Trump and for the UK to leave the EU was caused by de-industrialisation, deregulation and the "Thatcherite-Reagan model of economics in the 1980s that still plays out in former mining communities and other places".

Laying out an alternative, Corbyn said: "We need a government which is prepared to invest regionally that does have a regionally based investment bank that does deal with those issues.

"Communities coming together to improve education, health and housing work better together. Blaming minorities doesn't build houses."