JEREMY Corbyn has vowed to carry on as Labour leader despite his party’s worst byelection defeat in generations, saying it would be wrong to “run away or give up”.

In his first mea culpa since the Tories gained the Copeland on Thursday, Mr Corbyn also said he accepted a share of the responsibility for result.

Prompted by Labour MP Jamie Reed quitting to work in the nuclear industry, the byelection was the first time since 1982 the governing party had taken a seat from the official opposition.

Addressing the final day of the Scottish Labour conference in Perth, Mr Corbyn said: “Let us never forget it’s not called the struggle for nothing.

“The result in Copeland was deeply disappointing, and of course I take my share of responsibility for it.

“We haven’t done enough yet to rebuild trust with people who have been ripped off and sold out for decades and don’t feel Labour represents them.

“But now is not the time to retreat, to run away or to give up. Did Keir Hardie give up the fight? Did Clement Attlee? Did the miners, who fought for better pay and working conditions from the first days of the mining industry?

“No. They fought back and won time and time again to make their lives and all the rest of us who came after them better. That’s what we all have to do now and that’s what I will be doing.”

He claimed the Labour win over Ukip in Stoke-on-Trent last week had also been "historic".

But he stressed Labour had to “remain united” if it was to win power and correct a “rigged economy” that left huge numbers of people in poverty and reliant on foodbanks.

He said: "Labour is needed now more than ever. But to win that fight we need to remain united. United in our belief in our movement.

“United in our commitment to once again make our society fairer, better and more just. And united so we can provide our people with the hope they desperately deed."

Mr Corbyn also attacked the SNP record in government, accusing the party of failing on education, the NHS, social care, local government and the railways.

He singled out poverty and poor housing in Nicola Sturgeon’s Glasgow constituency.

He also said there was “no appetite” in Scotland for a second independence referendum, despite the SNP trying to use Brexit as “leverage” to engineer one.

He said: "To the SNP I say this: listen to the people and respect democracy. The Scottish people are telling you to get on with your job and start fixing the mess you have made.”

He added: “The SNP pretend independence will magically transform people’s lives. The collapse of oil prices show much much of a folly that was and what a danger to Scotland’s prosperity independence would have been.”

But there were also several slips suggesting Scotland remains alien terrain for Mr Corbyn.

He mispronounced the surname of the late Labour MP Tam Dalyell three times, called the Scottish flag the “salter”, and stumbled after referring to “our SNPs” instead of MSPs.

Earlier, Labour deputy Tom Watson challenged Unite boss Len McCluskey, who backed Mr Corbyn for leader, to support him now.

Speaking on ITV's Peston on Sunday, Mr Watson said: "If I've got some frustrations, it's that those people that are Jeremy's cheerleaders… should be sticking with their leader in the bad times, not just the good. Where's Len McCluskey defending his leader in this difficult time? It shouldn't be just down to me."

Mr Watson said it was not "a suicide approach" to stick with Mr Corbyn, as he urged the party to unite and ruled out a fresh leadership contest.

Gerard Coyne, who is challenging Len McCluskey for the Unite leadership, added: “Len McCluskey has spent his time as general secretary of Unite pulling the strings of the Labour leadership. But as the party's facing its biggest crisis in over a generation.. Len is suddenly nowhere to be seen or heard. The silence of Len McCluskey is truly damning. He has driven Labour to the cliff then disappeared in a puff of smoke as it tumbles over the edge.”

Shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti blamed the media and division in the party for two poor performances in by-elections this week.

However, Labour MP Lisa Nandy said it was "a severely inadequate response" to lay the blame beyond the party for its current problems.

Mr Corbyn later told Sky News said: "Len McCluskey is going through a general secretary election at the present time and presumably is engaged in doing that."

SNP Depute Leader Angus Robertson said: “There is a clear democratic mandate from the people of Scotland not to be dragged out of the EU. To deny that mandate is to deny reality.

"Mr Corbyn is in the same state of denial and delusion that his beleaguered Scottish Labour has shown this weekend. They want Scotland to give up the fight against the Tories on their disastrous hard Brexit and are pushing for UK wide federalism – when there is absolutely no support for it in the Labour party across the UK, let alone other sections of the UK electorate.”