Jeremy Corbyn wins Labour leadership in a landslide victory

Jeremy Corbyn, considered an outsider, won a landslide victory against challengers Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall.

The Labour Party has spoken as Jeremy Corbyn gained 251,417 or 59.5 per cent of first preference votes. That is 40 per cent more than his nearest rival Mr Burnham, who got 19 per cent.

Yvette Cooper was third with 17 per cent and Liz Kendall was fourth with just 4.5 per cent of the vote.

A total of 422,664 Labour members cast their vote, with a total turnout of 76 per cent. Jeremy Corbyn was backed by only a few Labour MPs, yet gained a larger landslide victory than that of Tony Blair, during this monumental day.

Supporters of Jeremy Corbyn chanted ‘Jez we did’ as he took to the stage to deliver his acceptance speech, stating: ‘[the win] showed our party and our movement, passionate, democratic, diverse, united and absolutely determined in our quest for a decent and better society that is possible for all’.

The new Labour leader promised to tackle ‘grotesque levels of inequality in our society’, with his first act as opposition leader being to join a demonstration with refugees. He also mentioned opposing the government’s efforts ‘to shackle unions in the Trade Union Bill which they are bringing forward on Monday’.

The Unite union leader, Len McCluskey, said: ‘Unite members were among those who took part in their thousands, enthused by the chance to engage in a genuine debate about what and who Labour stands for, and the sort of nation we want modern Britain to be’.

Shadow Health Minister, Jamie Reed announced his resignation from the Labour frontbench within seconds of Mr Corbyn’s victory. Reed has been an outspoken critic of Jeremy Corbyn since the start of the Labour leadership race.

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