Jeremy Corbyn has been comfortably re-elected as UK Labour leader, seeing off challenger Owen Smith.
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With 61.8 per cent of the vote, Corbyn has received an even larger mandate to lead the biggest party in British politics than he did this time a year ago.
This appears to have failed to win over Mr Corbyn’s supporters, with opinion polling of Labour’s members and supporters showing the incumbent leader comfortably ahead during the contest.
Barry Thompson, chairman of the Dorchester and District Labour Party, believes the party must come together, despite not supporting Mr Corbyn.
There are now fears that without a strong Labour opposition, Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives may be heading for a “hard Brexit” that would take Britain not only out of the European Union but also out of Europe’s single market.
Mr Smith urged Mr Corbyn to focus on the government policy of promoting new grammar schools, which he predicted could “unravel”.
Diane Abbott, one of Mr Corbyn’s closest allies, said: “I think it’s a resounding victory”.
Labour has reported a 77.6% turnout of those eligible to vote in the leadership election.
It took less than a week before generals were briefing The Times, warning the army would “not accept” Corbyn as PM and could “mutiny” if he were elected.Barely a day has gone by since without negative briefings, leaks to the media created to undermine the party leader, or the emergence of an artificial scandal created to drag Corbyn’s name through the mud.
“To do that, we have all got to work together”.
Corbyn was first elected a year ago with 59 percent of the vote from party members, and with strong backing from trade unions, but was immediately criticised by MPs who say his left-wing views are outdated.
In his winning speech Corbyn thanked all his supporters.
But despite it all, what a year we’ve had. If we do, the differences could become irreconcilable and the damage terminal. We can not have that.
The member for Leigh since 2001, who remained neutral during the leadership race, said the victor of the contest earned the right to lead without interruptions, noises off and undermining.
Despite the calls for unity, Labour members continue to trade blame for the party’s woes.
Lord Blunkett, a former home secretary in Tony Blair’s government, questioned whether any sort of workable compromise was possible. “No frenetic pronouncements or ill-thought-through resolutions”, he said.
“To get this wrong would lead to consequences way beyond the falling out of political friends or the demise of a once great political party”.
In his message to Labour supporters, Mr Corbyn asked everyone to “unite, cherish and build our movement”.
With an eye on rebuilding his front bench following the expected result, Mr Corbyn has already held private talks with moderate senior MPs.
The resignation of more than 40 frontbenchers in June left him unable to fill all his shadow ministerial posts and reports have suggested that as many as 14 may be ready to return following the apparent failure of Mr Smith’s bid to unseat him.
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Mr Corbyn was initially considered an outsider when he announced his candidacy for the Labour leadership in 2015, after Ed Miliband stood down.
