Sir Keir Starmer has won the Labour leadership contest to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.

He described becoming Labour leader as 'the honour and the privilege of my life'.

Sir Keir won in the first round of polling with 56.2% of the vote, ahead of Rebecca Long-Bailey in second with 27.6%, and Lisa Nandy third on 16.2%.

The result was announced via the party's social media feeds shortly after 10.45am, with a pre-recorded video from Sir Keir.

He said: "I will lead this great party into a new era, with confidence and hope, so that when the time comes, we can serve our country again - in government."

Sir Keir, 57, promised that Labour under his leadership would 'engage constructively' with the government as it responds to the crisis, 'not opposition for opposition's sake'.

"Not scoring party political points or making impossible demands. But with the courage to support where that's the right thing to do. But we will test the arguments that are put forward.

"We will shine a torch on critical issues and where we see mistakes or faltering government or things not happening as quickly as they should we'll challenge that and call that out."

Angela Rayner, meanwhile, has been elected as the party's new deputy leader. She won in the third round of voting with 52.6%, ahead of Rosena Allin-Khan on 26.1% and Richard Burgon 21.3%.

The new Labour leader, named after Labour's first parliamentary leader Keir Hardie, is a lifelong pro-European who in 2016 was appointed shadow Brexit secretary. It was he who pushed the party towards supporting a second referendum,

With a background in law, he was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions and was knighted in 2014.

In 2015 he succeeded Labour stalwart Frank Dobson as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, a safe seat in central London.