McMahon victory shows party’s strength: Corbyn

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and new Labour MP Jim McMahon at a rally outside Chadderton Town Hall with party supporters on Friday, after Labour held the parliamentary by-election seat in Oldham West and Royton with a majority of 10,722

LABOUR’S overwhelming victory in the Oldham West and Royton by-election shows the stength of the party, leader Jeremy Corbyn has insisted.

Corbyn visited Oldham on Friday to congratulate the country’s newest Labour MP, Councillor Jim McMahon, on the steps Chadderton Town Hall. Standing on the steps among a crowd of Labour supporters Mr Corbyn, who didn’t take questions from the press, made a brief speech praising Mr McMahon.

“Jim is an experienced council leader and brilliant local man who can speak up for the people of this town, can speak up in Parliament for them and bring about the kind of decent, prosperous opportunity future that we want for everybody in this country,” said Mr Corbyn.

“It shows the way we have driven the Tories back on tax credits, police cuts, on their whole austerity agenda and narrative. It shows just how strong, how deep-rooted and how broad our party, the Labour Party, is for the whole of Britain.”

Chancellor George Osborne offered Mr Corbyn his congratulations over the Oldham West and Royton result in person when they met on a train. In a tweet Mr Osborne said: “Good to be one of the first to congratulate Jeremy Corbyn in person on his Oldham win.”

UKIP failed to make widely-predicted advances in the poll, clearing the way for the Failsworth councillor and council leader to win with a majority of over 10,000 votes.