TheCable

Jeremy Corbyn has been elected leader of Britain’s Labour Party.

He succeeds Ed Miliband, who resigned after the party’s loss to Conservative Party at the general election in May.

A longtime peace activist and rebellious local politician, Corbyn, who began the contest as a rank outsider, saw off a challenge from frontbenchers Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall.

He gained 251,417 or 59% of first preference votes – 40% more than his nearest rival Burnham, who got 19%.

Cooper was third on 17% and Kendall a distant fourth with 4.5% of the vote.

A total of 422,664 cast a vote – a turnout of 76% – with Mr Corbyn coming way out in front of his rivals among party members, trade unionists and those who signed up for to take part for £3.