Alex Cunningham, the MP for Stockton North, was speaking after Jeremy Corbyn was re-elected leader of the Labour Party with a bigger mandate than before, winning 62% of the vote.
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Corbyn, first elected this time previous year, increased his share of the vote from then, when he received 59.5 per cent after putting an anti-austerity, anti-nuclear agenda at the forefront of British politics for the first time in a generation.
He tries another: “What do you think of Mr Corbyn’s victory?”
Following criticism of Mr Corbyn’s alleged “lacklustre” campaigning in the referendum, many Labour shadow cabinet members resigned.
First Minister Mr Jones said this had not been a “happy” time for Labour and urged it to now provide “forensic” opposition to the Conservatives.
“Elections are passionate, and often partisan, affairs, and things are sometimes said in the heat of the debate, on all sides, which we sometimes later come to regret”, he said.
They complain that his left-wing views can never win power, and bitter rows, marked by allegations of intimidation and bullying by Corbyn supporters, have sparked fears of a split in the century-old party. It has been a privilege to meet so many of you, who have given so much of your lives to Labour, and I promise to continue to work for what we all believe in.
“As far as I’m concerned, let’s wipe that slate clean from today and get on with the work we have got to do as a party together”.
Mr Corbyn called on Labour MPs to unite behind his leadership and help build support for “a genuine alternative” to the Conservative Government.
Corbyn however dismissed the need for shadow cabinet elections and turned his focus to confronting Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to bring back grammar schools in hopes of reuniting the party. “We must work hard now to put that right”.
Jeremy Corbyn emerged Saturday as the undisputed leader of western Europe’s largest political party.
It has been a huge honour for me to stand for leader of our great party and I am also deeply grateful to my Parliamentary colleagues for nominating me.
Some MPs yesterday said they were already planning another leadership challenge next year – the earliest possible opportunity under Labour’s rules.
“That means intervening to stop personal abuse and abiding by the principles of natural justice in the way we handle it”.
Corbyn’s rise to popular power spells an end to the New Labour project started under Tony Blair.
Corbyn also pleaded for unity in his party, which is engaged in a spectacularly messy internal fight.
After private talks this week with senior MPs on Labour’s moderate wing, Mr Corbyn is expected to seek to rebuild his frontbench team.
But the rebellion backfired, with Smith failing to generate the kind of enthusiasm that burns bright among Corbyn’s followers.
Supporters of Corbyn, many of whom are staunchly anti-Blair, say that he is a straight-talking, authentic politician who has galvanized a new generation of activists with his emphasis on creating a more equal society.
In a result announced on the eve of the party’s conference in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn won 313,209 votes, compared with Mr Smith’s 193,229.
Reports suggest more than a dozen MPs may be ready to return to Corbyn’s shadow cabinet. He said, “This time next week we are all going to hit the streets united as a party”.
And he said Labour’s hugely increased membership could “take our message to every part of the country to win support for the election of a Labour government”.
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Addressing supporters, Mr Corbyn said he and his opponents were part of the “same Labour family” and everyone needed to focus their energy “on exposing and defeating the Tories”.
