RICHARD LEONARD has praised the “great” Bernie Sanders after the pair met in New York on Saturday.

The Scottish Labour leader greeted the Democratic presidential hopeful after Mr Sanders addressed 25,000 people in the Queens district of the city.

The rally, which was also addressed by socialist politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is thought to be the biggest of the nomination race to date.

Leonard told the Star: “It was great to meet Bernie Sanders at his rally in Queens yesterday. 

“The US needs the transformative programme that Bernie is putting to the American people — a programme that is clearly in the interests of the many against the vested interests of just a few.

“Just like here in the UK, we need the transformative policy programme of Jeremy Corbyn and Labour to invest in our people, communities and public services and to get rid of the vested and elite interests of Boris Johnson and his old Etonian Tory Party.”