Jeremy Corbyn has promised major investment in Inverclyde if he becomes prime minister

During a visit to Greenock on Wednesday, the Labour leader says money would be readily available for the area should his party form the next UK Government.

In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, Mr Corbyn also pledged his support to local health services, including at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, and spoke of his desire to see improved transport links to aid the likes of the Ocean Terminal, following a tour of the busy passenger and container port.

Asked if a Labour government would deliver major investment in the area, Mr Corbyn said: "Yes. We would put £20 billion into an investment bank in Scotland which would be used to build infrastructure and that, in turn, boosts new industries so that areas of Scotland at the moment very dependent on one major industry, such as oil and gas in Aberdeen, can diversify so that there's more security for the future."

Mr Corbyn said he was 'very impressed' with the Greenock port and believes Inverclyde as a whole has a bright future.

He says more help is needed to boost the important freight side of the business as well as expanding the capacity for more cruise ships.

The Labour leader said: "There's massive potential here.

"We had a very good meeting with Peel Ports about what they are doing, what their volume of work is and what their aspirations are on cruise ships for the future.

"At the moment I'd say it's doing very well on cruise ships but it's basically a freight port.

"There's the question of transport links and transport infrastructure and the question of rail links and efficient rail links into the port here so that they can expand the amount of container traffic that comes and goes."

Accompanying Mr Corbyn on the visit was Labour's general election candidate for the area, Martin McCluskey, and the party's Scottish leader, Richard Leonard, who a fortnight ago stopped off at IRH to back Inverclyde Labour's 'Save Our Services' campaign against cuts at the hospital.

Mr Corbyn said: "It is obviously a responsibility of the Scottish Government and the funding that goes with it but quite clearly there has to be an efficient functioning A&E and hospital service in all parts of Scotland and recognition that in Scotland there are greater issues of distance and therefore access, and therefore you need greater accessibility.

"It is about funding."

Mr McCluskey narrowly lost out to the SNP's Ronnie Cowan at last year's snap election but did cut the MP's majority from over 11,000 to just 384.

He said: "I'm really pleased that Jeremy came to Inverclyde and it shows the importance he would place on the area at any general election campaign and if he did end up as prime minister after it.

"The visit has put the development along the riverside - the Ocean Terminal, Inchgreen and we also spoke about Ferguson's - right to the front of his mind.

"The message from Jeremy and Richard was very well received and one of the things they were impressing is Inverclyde at the next general election will be a key battleground for Labour because that will determine whether we have a Labour government or another Tory government and five more years of chaos we've seen since 2010."