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by Kevin Schofield and Liam Kirkaldy
19 October 2016
Scotland is the only part of the UK where Owen Smith beat Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest

Scotland is the only part of the UK where Owen Smith beat Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest

Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Scotland was the only part of the UK where Owen Smith received more votes than Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest, according to a breakdown of the result.

Corbyn won the leadership contest by a landslide – receiving 313,209 votes, compared to Smith’s 193,229, or 62 per cent to 38 per cent.

But while Corbyn received a majority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Smith took more votes in Scotland, with the MP for Pontypridd winning a majority by 814 votes.

The results show 6,856 members in Scotland voted for Smith, versus 6,042 for Corbyn.


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Recent months have seen a strain between the Scottish and UK Labour parties, with Kezia Dugdale backing Smith for the leadership, and Ian Murray, the party’s only Labour MP, quitting the shadow cabinet and being replaced as shadow Scottish secretary by Dave Anderson, an MP in the north east of England.

Corbyn received 8,507 in Wales, well ahead of Smith on 6,758.

In England, Corbyn won by 152,063 votes to 102,437, while in Northern Ireland he triumphed by 541 votes to 224.

The breakdown of the result, which was announced on 24 September, have been revealed to a sub-committee of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee.

Corbyn also won comfortably in both the registered supporters and affiliate categories.

Registered supporters - who had to pay £25 each to take part in the ballot - backed the incumbent leader by 84,918 votes to 36,599.

Affiliates, who are members of trade unions and other socialist organisations linked to the Labour party, supported Corbyn by 60,075 to 39,670.

The comprehensive nature of his victory in virtually every category shows how difficult it will be for Labour rebels to unseat their leader ahead of the next general election, which is due in 2020.

Former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls this morning speculated that Corbyn could decide to step down of his own accord before then.

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