For Corbyn supporters, it was a chance to repudiate the centrist “new Labour” vision of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who won three elections but became too cozy with big business for some tastes, and took Britain into the USA -led Iraq War.
Advertisement
The majority of voters think Labour is more divided than they can ever remember, according to a new poll released following Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election as party leader.
The total turnout vote was 506,438 out of an eligible voter count of 654,006.
Trade unions, including those who supported Owen Smith in the leadership contest, called for the party to quit squabbling and rally behind the leader.
Corbyn received 313,209 votes whilst Jones won just 193,229 votes – coming in at 38.2% of votes.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said Mr Corbyn’s victory meant Labour was now “incapable of providing a strong opposition to anybody apart from itself”.
Mr Corbyn issued a plea for party unity after being confirmed in his position, and aides said he had spent part of the day talking with MPs including Parliamentary Labour Party chair John Cryer and popular backbencher Jess Phillips, who chairs the women’s PLP.
Mr Corbyn talked immediately after the result of the need to unite and the responsibility the whole party now had, MPs included, to work together and respect the democratic choice.
The latest opinion poll for the next United Kingdom general election puts Labour seven points behind the Conservatives, with Ukip in third place and boasting nearly double the support of the public than the Lib Dems.
In Britain, Labour is the official opposition party in parliament, but in the fall-out between the Labour Parliamentary Party and Corbyn, most of his front bench team resigned.
Speaking at Labour’s women’s conference in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn made clear he wanted Ms Champion to remain in her post following the revelation.
Corbyn won nearly 62 percent of the more than 500,000 votes cast by Labour members and supporters.
“Politics is demeaned and corroded by intimidation and abuse”.
“Jeremy must show those sceptical about his leadership that he has the ability and the ideas to win an election, and enable Labour to regain the support of the British people”.
Reports suggest more than a dozen MPs may be ready to return to Mr Corbyn’s shadow Cabinet. But critics said he should extend an olive branch by allowing MPs to elect the shadow cabinet and stamping out any threat of de-selections for MPs perceived as disloyal.
“The hard left around Jeremy have never had control of the party before, they have never had control of the leadership and they have never had control of the organisation”, he said.
John Hannett, general secretary of shop workers’ union Usdaw, which backed Mr Smith in the contest, said Mr Corbyn must reach out to more people if Labour is to have any chance of winning an election.
Former leader Ed Miliband said it was “time to unite and focus on the country”. If he can be seen to force the Conservatives to make u-turns and concessions he will be perceived as an argument-winner who defends families’ interests, and this can only enhance trust in his judgement and his leadership. It is a ringing endorsement for Jeremy Corbyn from those who belong to the biggest membership of a party possibly in Europe. Others feared a leftward lurch would send the party back to the electoral wilderness of the Thatcher years, in which Labour lost four consecutive elections before its centrist turn under Blair. Can he harness this army of support to win a general election?
Advertisement
You need to challenge your supporters as well as your opponents if they undermine the values of the Labour Party, she will say according to the Mirror.
