Jeremy Corbyn re-elected as Labour leader with 61.8 per cent of the vote

The result means that the veteran socialist secured 61.8 per cent of the vote, a higher percentage than last year.

In his victory speech he told his party faithful that he had receieved his second mandate to lead them in less than a year. 

And he urged the party to unite after a bruising election campaign. 

"As far as I'm concerned, let's wipe that slate clean from today and get on with the work we have got to do as a party together," he said. 

Labour MPs should get behind his leadership and help build support for "a genuine alternative" to the Conservative Government.

He added that he personally had a responsibility as leader to unite the party at conference, in Parliament and across the country.

But he said: "It is also the responsibility of the whole party - Members of Parliament, councillors, party members and our wonderful supporters across the country - to work together and respect the democratic choice that's been made.

Labour MPs are still pushing for the return of elections to the shadow cabinet. 

Ian Murray, Labour's only MP in Scotland, has said that he could return to the frontbench only on that baisis. 

But Mr Corbyn's allies see the call as an attempt to cut his power.  

Labour MPs are understood to be facing pressure not to enter the shadow cabinet unless Mr Corbyn agrees to elections. 

A Labour source said that MPs were being encouraged not to become ''scabs" and crooss the picket line created  on the issue. 

"They are being told that if they do become scabs they won't get the votes of their colleagues if there are shadow cabinet elections in the future," he said. 

More than 50 members of Mr Corbyn's frontbench walked out earlier this year in protest at what they said was his lacklustre EU referendum campaign.

After a bitter summer-long campaign dogged by allegations of abuse on both sides of the party, Mr Corbyn also pledged to tackle intimidation in his victory speech.

"Our party has a duty of care to our members," he said.

"That means intervening to stop personal abuse and abiding by the principles of natural justice in the way we handle it.

"Politics is demeaned and corroded by intimidation and abuse. It is not my way and it is not the Labour way and never will be."

In a statement, Mr Smith said that his rival deserved credit for mobilising huge numbers of people and for winning the leadership contest so decisively. 

He said that he accepted and respected the result and would “reflect carefully on it and on what role I might play in future to help Labour win again for the British people”. 

It was also “no time for talk of a split” in Labour, he added.

But he issued a series of challenges to Mr Corbyn, saying it was primarily for the leader to “heal those divisions and to unite our movement. We have to turn round our dire opinion poll ratings and take on this right wing, failing Tory Government. Jeremy has won this contest. He now has to win the country.”