Jeremy Corbyn has indicated he will quit as the UK's Labour leader in the early part of next year after the party suffered its worst general election defeat since 1935.
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The 70-year-old has been under pressure to stand down immediately.
"The national executive will have to meet, of course, in the very near future and it is up to them. It will be in the early part of next year," he said of his departure as leader.
"I have pride in our manifesto that we put forward, and all the policies we put forward, which actually had huge public support.
"But this election was taken over ultimately by Brexit and we as a party represent people who voted both Remain and Leave."
Responding to a disastrous Wednesday night for Labour, which saw a string of its strongholds fall to the Tories, Corbyn said he would not be leading the party into another general election.
But speaking on Thursday after retaining his Islington North seat, he said he intended to take Labour through a period of reflection as the party looks ahead.
"I will discuss with our party to ensure there is a process now of reflection on this result and on the policies that the party will take going forward," he said.
"And I will lead the party during that period to ensure that discussion takes place and we move on into the future."
However angry Labour MPs, peers, and defeated candidates said his leadership was to blame for their catastrophic showing.
"I think Jeremy should go now," Labour's former home secretary Lord Blunkett told the BBC.
"There should be an interim leader agreed between the national executive and the parliamentary party - perhaps somebody like Hilary Benn.
"It would really help if the clique that runs the Labour Party at the moment just said sorry.
"I haven't heard one of them apologise to all those who lost their seats last night."
Ousted Labour MP Phil Wilson, who lost Tony Blair's former seat of Sedgefield to the Tories, said attempts by the leadership to put the result down to Brexit was "mendacious nonsense".
"Jeremy Corbyn's leadership was a bigger problem. To say otherwise is delusional. The party's leadership went down like a lead balloon on the doorstep," he said.
Allies of the Labour leader insisted the defeat was down to the inability to overcome differences over Brexit rather than a rejection of Corbyn's radical left-wing policy program.
The party was left with just 203 seats - down from the 262 it won in the 2017 general election and the 243 it held when parliament was dissolved in November.
Australian Associated Press
