JEREMY Corbyn has urged Labour to "wipe the slate clean" after he was re-elected as party leader following a bitter campaign which saw him defeat challenger Owen Smith.

Mr Corbyn said both he and Mr Smith were part of the "same Labour family" as he appealed for unity after winning 61.8 per cent of the vote.

He thanked voters in the contest for their "trust and support" after receiving 313,209 of the votes cast, compared with 193,229 for Mr Smith.

Referring to the "passionate and often partisan" contest, Mr Corbyn acknowledged "things are sometimes said in the heat of the debate on all sides which we sometimes later come to regret".

But he added: "I will do everything I can to repay the trust and support, to bring our party together, to make it an engine of progress for our country and the people that depend on the Labour Party to protect their interests, and win power to deliver real change in this country."

Mr Corbyn continued: "We have much more in common than that which divides us.

"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."

Copeland MP Jamie Reed has strongly opposed Mr Corbyn's leadership throughout the campaign but is also eager to put their differences aside.

Taking to Twitter he said: "Congratulations to Jeremy. I'm staying right here. For every Labour member disappointed today: we need you now. Don't quit, don't split."

As the party looks set to reunite, Labour's re-elected leader has high hopes for the future.

Mr Corbyn said that Labour had more than tripled in size since its general election defeat last spring to become the largest political party in western Europe, with a "nationwide movement" able to win support for the election of a Labour government.

He said: "Now is the time for all of us to focus every ounce of our energy on exposing and defeating the Tories and the damage they are doing to our country.

"Theresa May's Government isn't a new government - it's David Cameron's government with a new hard-right edge, repackaged with progressive slogans but threatening to take the country backwards and dithering as we face the historic challenges of Brexit."

However, Conservative party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin has expressed his doubts on the matter.

He said: "Labour are too divided, distracted and incompetent to build a country that works for everyone.

"One hundred and seventy-two Labour MPs don't think Jeremy Corbyn can lead the Labour Party - so how can he lead the country?

"Instead of learning lessons from the past, they have engaged in a bitter power struggle that will continue even after they've picked a leader.

"While Labour row amongst themselves, this Conservative Government will continue to deliver a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few."