Jeremy Corbyn, the new leader of the Labour Party, took 251,417 first preference votes in a turnout of 422,664

Published: 12 September, 2015
by RICHARD OSLEY

ISLINGTON North MP Jeremy Corbyn became the new leader of the Labour Party this afternoon (Saturday), completing one of the most remarkable victories in the history of British politics.

He won the Labour leadership contest on the first round of voting, having begun the process as a rank 100-1 outsider.

His rivals, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall, melted away against a campaign which gained momentum throughout the summer.

The breakdown of results, however, showed it was not just newcomers paying £3 for the right to vote who heavily backed him, he was ahead among existing members, too. He took nearly 60 per cent of the vote. The baseline statistic: Mr Corbyn took 251,417 first preference votes in a turnout of 422,664.

He said people had voted for him because “they are fed-up with the inequality, the injustice, the unnecessary poverty; all those issues have brought people in, in a spirit of hope and optimism”.

News of Mr Corbyn’s initial decision to stand was broken by the Islington Tribune in June. Some commentators laughed at the idea, suggesting he would not even get onto the ballot paper. He secured the support of the qualifying figure of 35 MPs when several who did not actually want him to win, including Hampstead and Kilburn’s Tulip Siddiq, agreed to lend their nominations to “broaden” the debate. 

Once officially in the running, Mr Corbyn’s challenge grew stronger with each passing week. There were sold-out rallies as people clamoured to hear him speak about his ideas for an anti-austerity alternatives. His rivals said his economic ideas do not stack up. He received no backing from Labour Party grandees – Tony Blair and other New Labour figures urged members to vote against him. There was little in the way of media endorsement, too. But his supporters would not be put off.