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Jeremy Corbyn is new Labour Party leader

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Jeremy Corbyn has won a landslide victory to become the new leader of the Labour Party.

The Islington North MP won 59.5 per cent of the vote in the first round.

Andy Burham was a distant second with 19 per cent. Yvette Cooper gained 17 per cent while Liz Kendall trailed on 4.5 per cent.

A total of 422,664 votes were cast, with the new leader picking up 251,417.

Mr Corbyn thanked his three leadership rivals, and also thanked previous leader Ed Miliband, commending him on the dignity he showed when his late father, the Marxist academic Ralph Miliband, was accused of "hating" Britain by a section of the British media in 2013.

During the leadership campaign, questions had been raised about Mr Corbyn's links with antisemites and Holocaust deniers.

West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson was elected as the deputy leader, winning 50.7 per cent in round three of voting. In his acceptance speech he urged party members to unite behind the new leader

Mr Watson was a key ally of former prime minister Gordon Brown. He abstained in last year's controversial Commons vote on Palestinian statehood and could be a potential counter-balance to Mr Corbyn's stance.

Reacting to the result, Board of Deputies president Jonathan Arkush said: “We would like to congratulate Jeremy Corbyn on his election as Labour leader. We look forward to meeting him to discuss the priorities and concerns of Britain’s Jewish community."

Simon Johnson, CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council, said: “The Jewish Leadership Council will, as we always have, find ways of working with Her Majesty’s Opposition on matters relevant to us. Over the course of the leadership campaign, we had a number of concerns regarding some of Mr Corbyn’s past connections, and his stances on policy areas of great significance to the Jewish community. It is important that the legitimate concerns of the community are addressed.”

“We look forward to meeting with Mr Corbyn at the first available opportunity to discuss our concerns, but also ways in which the Labour Party and the Jewish community can continue to work together in a spirit of co-operation and understanding. We hope that the Labour movement remains a welcoming environment for members of the Jewish community, many of whom have lifelong commitments to it.”

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