Noam Chomsky says he would vote for Jeremy Corbyn if he were British

Professor Noam Chomsky would vote for Jeremy Corbyn if he were British, the world-renowned academic has said.

Speaking to reporters while on a visit to the UK, Chomsky claimed that Labour would be doing better in the polls and have a better chance in the general election if it were not for the "bitter" treatment of the mainstream media.

It comes as drafts of Labour's manifesto were leaked to the press, including plans to nationalise energy, rail and mail as well as significant hikes in public spending.

"If I were a voter in Britain, I would vote for him [Corbyn]," Chomsky told the Guardian, while admitting his policies have not received the amount of support expected.

"There are various reasons for that," he said, "Partly an extremely hostile media, partly his own personal style, which I happen to like, but perhaps that doesn't fit with the current mood of the electorate.

"He's quiet, reserved, serious, he's not a performer. The Parliamentary Labour Party has been strongly opposed to him. It has been an uphill battle."

Momentum represents 'serious future' for Labour

Chomsky claimed that voters had only voted for the Conservatives because of "an absence of anything else" stating that Labour under Tony Blair became a "pale image" of the Tories, with very little appeal.

He added that Labour needed to "reconstruct itself" to benefit working people again, while focussing on human and civil rights.

"The constituency of the Labour party, the new participants, the Momentum group and so on ... if there is to be a serious future for the Labour party that is where it is, in my opinion," he said.

Chomsky also compared Corbyn to America's Bernie Sanders, who galvanised mass support during his campaign for the Democratic ticket for presidency, stating that the two were of the same tradition.