When I first heard he was standing, I didn't really have much hope. All my expectations have been shattered though, and I'm delighted that he's probably going to win. Finally the stain of Blairism can be removed from our party, and politics of hope can move us forwards, instead of being 'Tory-Lites'.

Stunning victory for the Tories. Either Labour elects as leader a man who the vast majority of their well known faces have claimed has no economic credibility or would generally be a disaster, or they elect someone else and tear the party apart as none of the left wing accept it.

Add to that the the completely inept way the election was run, which has essentially turned the entire summer into an advert for Labour's inability to run a piss-up in a brewery, and I'm not sure how things could have gone any better for the Conservatives.

As far as Corbyn goes himself, I quite like him. He is a rare politician of uncompromising (relatively speaking) principle. His difficulties will be that, whilst he resonates extremely well with a lot of the Labour Party faithful, he resonates far less well with the general public. He has a past full of actions that will provide more ammunition than a newspaper editor could dream of. I suspect the mantra that will great him from most will be "I have a lot of time for him, but I could never vote for him".

I do not agree with your first paragraph, Octavious - but that won't surprise you.

I do, however, completely agree that the administration of the election process has been a farce - real ineptitude on display, you're quite right. I amazed how badly they've organised things.

No? Which part do you disagree with? When I think of Corbyn supporters within the Labour party you have Dianne Abbott, Ken Livingstone, Lord Prescott... and then I start to struggle... And even then it's often less direct support and more statements that they think he could do a good job. The list of quotes saying he would be a disaster is as long as your arm.

Sorry, I mis-read your first par. I do not think he has no economic credibility - and there are a number of respectable economists who have backed him. However, I now see that wasn't your point. So, yes, you are correct that Tony Blair and other "well known" Labour figures have criticised him. However, I think that's a strength. Tony Blair did big things once, but today he, himself, has no credibility whatsoever. By the time he stepped down as PM, he was a hugely unpopular figure in the eyes of the public. Blair's bizarrely spiteful attack on Corbyn and his supporters actually strengthens Corbyn's appeal.

@Octavious

Ed Miliband came out as fairly pro-Corbyn, and has pretty much said "I told you we weren't left enough" to his campaign people. Burnham himself has been very conciliatory toward Corbyn throughout. Between them, they represent a large chunk of the soft-left Labour party, and both had a fair amount of support. I would not be surprised to see both Ed and Andy in a Corbyn shadow cabinet, getting the loyalty of them and their supporters.

On the other hand; the Blairites and Labour right are likely to be extremely marginalised, and they're massive losers if Corbyn wins. Sadiq Khan already beat their chosen Tessa Jowell for London mayor; so their influence is at an all time low.

Fifty-nine percent!

(Sorry, 59.5%)

Crushing victory; the jubilence of which can only be matched by Liz Kendall laughing at her own vote count after getting 4.5%, to complete a perfect day.

Wait a moment.....

jmo1121109 has stepped down as an admin because he needs more time to spend on other activities.

On the same day, Jeremy Corbyn has taken office as leader of the Labour Party.

Both their names begin with "J".

jmo has not always been a popular character with some in the community, but in recent days there has been an outpouring of support for him.

Can all these things be mere coincidences? Is there something jmo1121109 is not telling us?

JereMy cOrbyn

It's the Labour membership number after the initials that's the real giveaway

A rather sad day for the Labour party, when they cease to offer anything of relevance to the British electorate.

Part of me can't stop laughing, the other part (as a historian) is genuinely sorry for Labour. After all, they hardly lost this year because they weren't left wing enough...

That is exactly why they lost. In Scotland, Labour was swept away by the SNP, who were offering an anti-austerity platform that resonated with the public.

There was very little about Labour's 2015 general election campaign that was seriously "left wing", cgwhite - don't be daft.

Wow.

Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!

I'm not daft Jamie! It was a left wing campaign - rent controls in the housing sector, price fixing in the energy markets (which would have cost consumers more as prices ended up falling), failing to rule out a deal with the SNP, the anti-business rhetoric... I could go on!

cgwhite - "A rather sad day for the Labour party, when they cease to offer anything of relevance to the British electorate." So what did Labour offer yesterday that would have persuaded you to vote for them. Would you have honestly considered voting for Labour led by Liz Kendle, who many see as being closer to the Conservatives?

There is a good chance Labour will lose in 2020 regardless of leader, but to try and win by copying the current winner's policies doesn't give the electorate a choice. I don't recall Hague or Howard or IDS arguing they should be more like Labour when TB was winning convincingly.

Labour now has an opportunity to engage with people who have become disillusioned with politics and politicians, I'm not saying that is magic bullet that will see them regain power, but I do think offering up two distinct policy platforms is good for democracy and good for the electorate.

I should mention that I'm a Green Party member rather than a labour supporter.

Perhaps I should declare that I was a Conservative Special Adviser for 6 years, working for 3 different cabinet ministers...

The reason I joined the Conservatives back in 2006 was because David Cameron was leader - someone different to the 'we lost because we weren't right wing enough' years of IDS and Howard'.

I'm looking at this from a centrist Conservative point of view - the way to win elections is from the centre - Blair showed that, as has Cameron. Corbyn definitely doesn't offer that, which is why I'm sorry for Labour - I want a strong opposition - our political system needs that, and sadly that's what we won't have over the next five years.

So you think there's absolutely no way Corbyn can win in 2020?

Corbyn will provide a much stronger opposition to the Conservatives than the weakling front bench of Miliband did. Do you really think that Miliband, Balls, Tristram fucking Hunt and co were a "strong opposition" ?

I'd be staggered. Mind you, there's been a fair bit of surprises in the British political system over the last 6 months, Corbyn and SNP included.

It all depends on how the Conservatives capitalise on this by tacking to the centre. Diane Abbot/John McDonnell as Shadow Chancellor, if appointed, should allow a few opportunities to differentiate.

Jamie, no I didn't think Ed Miliband provided a strong opposition - I thought David Miliband would have been the better bet, and that's who the Conservatives would have feared the most in 2010 - I know, because I was in the meetings discussing it at the time. Equally, when I left, Conservatives were most worried about Cooper. Corbyn wasn't even on the radar as we all thought it was just too outlandish to be true.

And I'm not sure what Tristram has done to raise such ire?

I can't see Abbott getting a big position. I expect McDonnell to get a spot, but I think that a lot of the Milibandites will be in solid shadow cabinet positions. The shadow cabinet makeup will say a lot about just how radical we go.

I certainly think we have a good chance under Corbyn though. My CLP, in Lewes, is hardly in a strong traditional Labour area, yet even they came out pro-Corbyn.

I'm glad we agree that Ed wasn't a strong opposition. Corbyn will speak out much more strongly against the current vile Tory regime and the harm it is causing to thousands of the most vulnerable people in society.

Tristram Hunt? He's a scab and a class traitor.

^ to cgwhite

(To be clearer about Tristram - as just one example, while he was Labour's shadow education secretary, he crossed a picket line of striking college lecturers, despite the fact that representatives of his own union, as well as trade unionists on the picket, urged him not to. A deeply hurtful slap in the face of the education workers he should have been representing as the Labour education spokesman. Disgraceful.)

McDonnell is my neighbouring MP, and I know him fairly well from when I used to work for John Randall. He's a decent guy, well meaning and passionate - I particularly liked working with him on the anti-3rd Runway campaign , but there is no way he is a senior Shadow Cabinet member.

It will be interesting to see who is in the Shadow Cabinet - Cooper, Hunt, Ummuna, Reeves, Leslie, Kendall and Reed all saying they won't serve. There will probably be a few more too.