BISHOP Auckland MP Helen Goodman appeared to give up on the Labour Party's chances of winning the general election and forming the next Government despite leader Jeremy Corbyn insisting a Tory win was not a "foregone conclusion".

She said the election was not "about changing the Government" but instead preventing Theresa May from getting the big majority she wants to help strengthen her position before Brexit negotiations.

It came as Mr Corbyn promised to "prove the Establishment experts wrong" and win the election, despite a fresh Times/YouGov opinion poll putting Labour 24 points behind the Tories.

Ms Goodman acknowledged that Labour faces an uphill struggle ahead of the June 8 snap election.

She told ITV News: "I don't think that this election is about changing the Government.

"I think this election is about preventing the Tories from getting such an overwhelming majority that there is no possibility of dissent in this country."

Labour former frontbencher Lucy Powell said the PM "hasn't called this election because she thinks she is going to lose".

She told BBC Radio 4's The World at One programme: "I think to be fair to Helen what she is trying to do there is to say we have got to not just establish our frame in this election but to challenge that of the Conservatives as well.

"Theresa May didn't need to call this election.

"Theresa May hasn't called this election because she thinks she is going to lose.

"What she has called this election for, a complete unnecessary election, is because she is asking the public to give her unfettered carte blanche to do what she wants with a hard Brexit, to our public services, to an economy putting up national insurance for hard-working hairdressers and plumbers and so on."