Jeremy Corbyn addresses issues faced by rural residents at Burston Strike School Rally

Supporters listen to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the Burston Strike School Rally. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

The labour leader was a speaker at the Burston Strike School Rally and gave an impassioned speech to the thousands who attended the event in which he spoke about the issues people face in areas such as Norfolk and Suffolk.

Mr Corbyn, who is locked in a battle for the Labour leadership with Owen Smith, said: 'There are issues of rural development and rural poverty and the need to deal with the housing issues in rural areas where too many people on average or

below average incomes simply cannot afford to live in villages any more.

'So villages then become a community of either those who have retired or those who can live there and commute long distances.

'What we need is better communications, buses and broadband into villages as well as investment in rural council housing. You can be poor in a beautiful village just as much as you can be poor in a city.'

One of Mr Corbyn's promises is to return industries, including the railways, to state ownership. The government recently signed a new nine-year contract with Abellio Greater Anglia and Mr Corbyn said he would not break the contract if he won the 2020 general election.

He said: 'At the moment our policy is we would return those services to the public sector at such point as the franchise is concluded

'We invest in the railways, we put the money in the railways – that is we the public – and I think we should get the benefits from it.'

Once again the rally was buoyed by the leader's appearance and Mr Corbyn said he enjoyed attending the annual event.

'I love the atmosphere and the coming together of people from all over East Anglia to celebrate the Burston Strike School and the huge contribution the Higdon's made to that,' he added.

'I think there is a lesson there about people coming together to support each other.'