SENIOR Labour Party figures in Worcestershire have today called for a "united front" after Jeremy Corbyn's emphatic victory - saying the infighting must stop.

Mr Corbyn was re-elected as Labour leader with a resounding mandate on Saturday, sweeping up 62 per cent of the votes from more than 506,000 people.

The resounding mandate has led to some of the party's leading figures in the county to appeal for unity, saying the leadership battle has damaged morale.

Councillor Peter McDonald, the Labour group leader at Worcestershire County Council, said: "He's had a tremendous response from our members and for me, clearly he's the right person for the times we are in.

"He's made it clear he will tackle austerity and that is what people want, people care about public services, the NHS, youth centres, employment rights.

"He's convinced a great majority of a political party with over 500,000 members, if he can do that he can convince the country - he's got an even clearer mandate than last time and should have our total support."

Labour Councillor Adrian Gregson, who leads Worcester City Council, said: "He's been re-elected as Labour leader and I'll be doing what I did last year, which is support our leader.

"The real fight is with the Government and the cuts they are making, let's get on with that."

Only two of Worcestershire's six Labour branches endorsed Mr Corbyn during the brutal contest, in Mid-Worcestershire and the Wyre Forest, with the rest choosing to back no candidate rather than side with Owen Smith.

But three former Labour parliamentary candidates in Worcestershire had signed a letter backing Mr Smith as well as several councillors, such as the current Mayor of Worcester Councillor Paul Denham.

Others, like former Labour Worcester MP Mike Foster, also wanted Mr Corbyn replaced.

Dan Walton, who chairs West Worcestershire's Labour branch, said: "I'm in Liverpool at the moment (at the Labour conference) and it doesn't feel like there is a massive divide.

"We've just get to get on with it - had he won by slightly less than last time there might be a creeping argument of 'he hasn't got as much of a mandate', but there really is no argument."

Alan Humphries, treasurer of the Mid-Worcestershire branch, added: "He's had two resounding victories now and everyone has to get behind him.

"For too many people in our party, on both sides of the argument, there were far too many insults thrown.

"I know people say he's unelectable, but he hasn't had a general election yet."

Mr Corbyn won 313,209 votes compared with Mr Smith's 193,229, despite his own MPs undermining him for the last 12 months.

The contest came about after more than 170 MPs supported a motion of 'no confidence' in him after dozens quit his shadow cabinet and other frontbench roles.

Mr Corbyn was first elected Labour leader in September last year, when he got 59.5 per cent of the vote.