Jeremy Corbyn was crowned Labour leader on Saturday after the most extraordinary leadership race of modern times.

The veteran socialist crushed his rivals in a landslide victory that sees Labour shift sharply and decisively to the left.

Mr Corbyn secured a staggering 59.5% in the first round of voting, meaning second-preference choices were not required.

The MP for Islington North had been hotly-tipped to win, but the scale of his victory shocked even his closest aides.

In the end, his rivals Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall were simply blown away by the unprecedented Corbyn surge.

His astonishing three-month rise from 200/1 outsider to leader of the opposition means Labour now has its most left-wing leader in decades.

His new deputy leader will be campaigning MP Tom Watson, who comfortably defeated closest rival Stella Creasey with 50.7% to her 26.4% in the third round of voting.

"I promised to back our new leader 100%, and I intend to do exactly that," Mr Watson told Labour members at the special leadership conference in Westminster. "I ask you to do the same."

"To all those Tories sniggering up their sleeves that we won't win in 2020 - watch this space. And watch your backs."

The two men must now seek to revive a Labour Party still reeling from its disastrous election defeat in May.

"Radical new policy platform"

Mr Corbyn will set out a radical new policy platform, pledging fierce opposition to Tory spending cuts and huge investment in public services.

The 66-year-old leader drew up his shadow cabinet over the weekend, offering senior Labour MPs a tough choice over whether to fall in line or return quietly to the backbenches and watch the party shift dramatically to the left.

Stepping out of the limelight, or ruling themselves out of contention for a spot in Mr Corbyn's first shadow cabinet, are:

  • Former shadow health minister Jamie Reed
  • Former shadow work and pension secretary Rachel Reeves
  • Former Labour leader Ed Miliband
  • Former shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt
  • Labour leadership candidates Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall
  • Former shadow communities secretary Emma Reynolds
  • Former shadow energy secretary and deputy leadership candidate Caroline Flint

After celebrating his victory on Saturday, Mr Corbyn joined a rally in central London in support of refugees before celebrating with NHS campaigners.

He has since been working on his shadow cabinet, with his campaign chief and veteran Labour MP John McDonnell taking the role of shadow chancellor.

Mr Watson is deputy leader, while fellow leadership candidate Andy Burnham will assume the role of shadow home secretary.

Heidi Alexander becomes shadow health secretary, Hilary Benn continues as shadow foreign secretary and Lucy Powell has been appointed shadow education secretary.

Angela Eagle, Lord Falconer, Seema Malhotra, Diane Abbott, Vernon Coaker, Chris Bryant, Ian Murray and Rosie Winterton also take up frontbench posts.

Mr Corbyn has, however, been criticised for failing to appoint any female candidates to the top ranking roles in the shadow cabinet.

His stunning win nonetheless caps the most unexpected rise in British politics.

The serial rebel and anti-war campaigner has been an MP for over 30 years without ever holding a frontbench role. He only stood reluctantly as Labour left-wingers searched for an alternative candidate.

But the Labour grassroots were quickly won over by his heartfelt calls for a genuine alternative to austerity.

Hundreds of thousands of people were enthused to pay £3 to become registered Labour supporters for the contest - the vast majority voting for the Islington North MP.

Opinion polls at the end of July showed Mr Corbyn had opened up a huge lead over his rivals which in the end proved unassailable.

Labour general secretary Iain McNicol said all Conservative and Green Party infiltrators had been "weeded out" of the contest and the result was not in doubt."We have run a free and fair election," he said.

But in a veiled dig at the membership rules he warned winning back power from the Tories will require far more work from every supporter than just "clicking a button and paying £3".