Mansfield and Ashfield MPs back Corbyn after leadership win

Mr Corbyn landed 61.8 per cent of the vote against Owen Smith claiming a majority among all groups of voters including members, affiliates and registered supported.

The result brings an end to months of infighting among party members with some questioning Mr Corbyn’s suitability for the leadership role, but having won it for the second time in 12 months, Sir Alan has urged members to now put the issues behind them.

He would not comment on the leadership debate in the weeks before the result, but told Chad this week: “It’s over now and I’m pleased it’s now out of the way.

“It’s been big challenge but we don’t want anymore of this now, it needs putting behind us and we need to get on and beat the Tories.

“We need to get out there and fight for this country.

“It’s now about delivering policies and convincing the people that we can do it.

“Every other party has had leadership issues so Labour isn’t the only one, but that all comes second to winning over the people and the country.”

Meanwhile, Ashfield’s Labour MP, Gloria De Piero echoed Sir Alan’s sentiments, despite commenting in recent months that she thought Mr Corbyn was not capable of leading the party to victory in a general election.

Ms De Piero then stepped down from her role as shadow minister for young people.

She said this week that she would not re-join the shadow cabinet if asked, preferring to spend time on “listening to voters”.

She said this week: “All of us in the Labour Party must now focus on the country and win over the millions of voters we need to get a Labour Government which can change people’s lives.

“The values of our party are timeless - power, wealth and opportunity in the hands of the many, not the few.

“We are all committed to getting back into government so we can put those values into practice.”