This article originally appeared in JOE.co.uk.
Jeremy Corbyn has won his second Labour leadership contest in 12 months after beating Owen Smith by a significant margin.
The current Leader of The Opposition actually strengthened his mandate with a 61.8 per cent share of the vote, increasing his margin of victory since he swept to power in the 2015 leadership contest..
Despite open mutiny from the Parliamentary Labour Party, so-called ‘purges’ of his supporters from the ballot and what many of his supporters believe was a sustained campaign against him by the mainstream media, the left-wing politician has increased his grip on power as Labour leader.
The current leader won 313,409 votes (61.8%) from members, registered supporters and union affiliates compared to 193,229 (38.2%) for his rival, Pontypridd MP Owen Smith.
It was higher than the 59% mandate he won during his shock victory in the 2015.
Corbyn and Smith shook hands following the bitter contest as the results, which many believed was already a foregone conclusion, were read out at a packed hall in Liverpool.
Corbyn said he was honoured to have won a majority among supporters to lead the Labour Party….
"I'm honoured to be given second mandate in a year" – @jeremycorbyn on re-election #Lab16 https://t.co/6ErEiVALRF https://t.co/p3fy6NjVW5
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 24, 2016
He also offered an olive branch to opposing factions in the Labour Party and said now the results were in the ‘slate would be wiped clean’.
"Elections are passionate and often partisan affairs…": Jeremy Corbyn as he wins Labour leadership election #Lab16 https://t.co/5QeBYMYvTP
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) September 24, 2016
Some will see this victory as a validation of Corbyn’s leadership and his more left-wing policies, which include rail re-nationalisation, ending tax avoidance, nuclear disarmament and the abolition of university tuition fees.
Others will see it as a death knell for Labour with two warring factions with seemingly irreconcilable differences.
But whichever side of the fence people were on, they couldn’t help making the same joke…
https://twitter.com/KMnotCM/status/779639531691704320
https://twitter.com/TrevorSDempster/status/779637630292164608
https://twitter.com/raaavin/status/779641040164753409
Corbyn in. Rooney out.
— Andy (@WEWANTGLAZEROUT) September 24, 2016
Jeremy Corbyn wins and remains on the opposition front bench….that's not the same one as Rooney.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) September 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/paulofarrell/status/779637391829131265
My Twitter feed: Corbyn dropped by Mourinho. Rooney wins Labour leadership. #MUFC #Labour
— Jane May (@Janelid) September 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/spurs_report/status/779641964874563584
The red half of Manchester seemed chuffed with the news anyway…
https://twitter.com/danieldyson2016/status/779644641671057408
Which is least surprising? Corbyn wins or Rooney dropped?
— Richard Jackson (@jackson_richard) September 24, 2016
Good day so far… #Rooney dropped and #Corbyn re-elected.
— AK 🇵🇸 (@AliKhan_1988) September 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/josephcorcoran/status/779635341363912704
Rooney dropped and Corbyn wins what a day
— Jonah Sanders (@jonahsanders) September 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/BalinHenst/status/779643598832795648
https://twitter.com/JimmyTyldesley/status/779642350314328064
Rooney out, Corbyn in. Best Saturday ever #MUFC #MUNLEI #LabourLeadership
— Jamie (@jamhen89) September 24, 2016
Corbyn in, Rooney out. Big news day for the Reds, but not entirely unexpected
— Alistair Magowan (@alistairmagowan) September 24, 2016
Rooney out, Corbyn in… big red news.
— Jonny Blain (@jonoblain) September 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/NennaBaston/status/779640634047131648
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