Opinion divided over new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

Within minutes of the news being announced, Conservative MP for Wyre and Preston North Ben Wallace took to social media to criticise the new leader.

The Tory politician tweeted: “Dear Barrow in Furness, Labour have just elected a man who will close the sub yards and put thousands out of work.”

The tweet is thought to be in reference to Corbyn’s opposition to the renewal of Britain’s submarine-based Trident nuclear weapon system.

Others, however, congratulated the politician on his win.

Local comedian Steve Royle tweeted “At last! We have a proper elder statesman leading a major political party in this country, not just a media friendly face!”

Ali Amla, vice-chairman of Preston Faith Forum, posted: “The Labour Party needs radical change and this is the beginning.”

Veteran left-winger Corbyn won the leadership of the Labour Party by a landslide, taking almost 60% of more than 400,000 votes cast in a result which marks a fundamental change of direction for the party.

The Islington North MP defeated rivals Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall in the first round of counting, taking 251,417 (59.5%) of the 422,664 votes.

Now the new leader needs to find a way to unite the party. In the wake of the result, a number of senior Labour figures announced they would not sit in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.

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