JEREMY Corbyn has been re-elected leader of the Labour party.

Mr Corbyn and rival Owen Smith shook hands as they appeared on stage ahead of the announcement.

Mr Corbyn received 313,209 votes, while Mr Smith received 193,229.

Mr Corbyn said he was honoured to receive the second mandate in a year to lead the party.

He added: "In our party we have much more in common than that which divides us."

He urged Labour to "wipe the slate clean" after an often bitter campaign.

Mr Corbyn said the both he and Mr Smith were part of the "same Labour family" in an appeal for unity after winning 61.8 per cent of the vote.

He thanked voters in the contest for their "trust and support".

A total of 654,006 people were eligible to vote, with 506,438 people voting.

The Northern Echo: HOSPITAL PROMISE: Darlington MP Jenny Chapman

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman was on a train heading to the party conference and told The Northern Echo 'today is Jeremy’s day and he has done very well to secure that result'.

When asked about his ambition to bring the party back together, she said: “Whether or not that is feasible is down to him and he needs to demonstrate, through his leadership, that he can use that sufficiently, not just on party members but on members of the public.
"I believe it will be very difficult for him but it will be down to him.”

Redcar MP, Anna Turley also congratulated Mr Corbyn, while issuing words of warning if Labour wanted to get back into government.

The Northern Echo: Anna Turley

Redcar MP Anna Turley

"Congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn on winning the Labour leadership. Now we must focus on exposing the weakness of this government," she wrote on Twitter.

"I will continue to give my all every single day to represent my constituents through my Labour values.

"I will fight every day to try and take us closer to getting a Labour government so we can put our principles into action for our communities.

"But it is vital now that we listen to the electorate. We cannot just shout at them with slogans and flags and ideals.

"We must set forward positive and concrete Labour solutions to the daily fears and concerns they face

"We must apply our traditional Labour values to today's and tomorrow's local and global social and economic challenges and be in tune with the public

"And we must look like a government in waiting. For all British people, not just the ones who share our views."

Speaking earlier, Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, said the damage to the party could be "terminal" unless Mr Corbyn was now given a proper chance to get his message across to voters.

However, Labour grandee David Blunkett warned the chances of peace between Mr Corbyn and the majority of his MPs appeared "minuscule" and questioned whether any sort of workable compromise was possible.

The veteran left-winger was the overwhelming favourite to see off the challenge from rival Mr Smith when the results of the leadership election were announced in Liverpool.

Mr Burnham, who was neutral in the contest, said the two sides needed to find a "new consensus" to enable them to work together.

He said that Labour MPs who walked out of the shadow cabinet should be prepared to serve on the frontbench and "to do so constructively".

Mr Smith congratulated Mr Corbyn on "being elected decisively as our leader", adding: "Now is time for all of us to work to take Labour back to power."

Union leaders were among the first to warmly welcome Mr Corbyn's victory, but said Labour now has a big challenge ahead.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said: "Jeremy Corbyn has won because he's captured the imagination of party members.

"People are inspired by his promises to end austerity, fix our broken public services and build a different kind of economy.

"But the scale of the political challenge facing Labour cannot be ignored. The party already faced an uphill battle to convince the British people before this unhelpful leadership contest.

"A way must be found so Labour can come together - using the talents of the best MPs from across the party in the shadow cabinet, taking the fight to the Tories, rather than fighting one another.

"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."

Mick Whelan, leader of the train drivers' union Aslef, said: "It is now time for everyone - especially those in the Parliamentary Labour Party who have spent so much of the last year undermining Jeremy - to get behind him, to turn their fire on the Tories, and to get ready for a general election which could be just around the corner.

"Labour, under Jeremy, offers a real - and positive - alternative to the failures of the last six years.

"Over the last 12 months Jeremy has shown he is not just the man to lead Labour, but the man to heal the divisions in our country and help build a better Britain fit for the 21st century."