Statement from Cllr Gavin Callaghan, Leader of the Basildon Labour Group:
"I am disappointed that Owen Smith fell short of being elected Leader of the Labour Party today.
"Like thousands of others, I think Owen would have made an outstanding leader and used the platform he would have been given to take our party in a radical, but equally, a credible new direction. He deserves great credit for the brave and courageous campaign that he fought in the face of severe and totally unjustifiable hostility from many on the opposing side.
"My sincere hope now is that Jeremy Corbyn uses his victory today as a moment to reflect and inspire change in his own leadership of our party, his office and in the people he surrounds himself with. He has been elected to lead the whole party and not just the factions that agree with him.
"It is clear from election results and consistent national polling that we cannot continue with a status quo that has led to Labour plummeting to record lows in those polls, Jeremy enjoying the worst approval ratings of any party leader in history, defeat in the local elections in key marginal constituencies like Thurrock and Basildon and the disastrous result of losing Labour heartlands in the EU referendum.
"Change from the Leader is needed if Labour is to become credible in the eyes of the public once more.
"That means him substituing placards and protests for policies and ideas. It means sacrificing rallies to the converted and beginning the hard graft of appealing to two million Conservative voters in southern marginals that we must convert in order to win a General Election. And it means recognising the need to professionalise and understand that every day he spends as leader of the opposition, is an interview with the public for the job of their prime minister.
"Like so many who voted for Owen Smith in this campaign, I want nothing more than to see the Labour Party winning elections at local, regional and national level. I hope we can do that under Jeremy, but drastic change will be required from the Leader to make winning power, possible.
"If Jeremy is serious and demonstrates that he is willing to change, he will have the full and undivided support of all Labour Party members. It will be accountable to us throughout.
"It will be when he has the courage to change himself and show that he means it, that he will be able to lead the whole party in the important job of properly scrutinising this clueless Conservative government who now face the monstrous task of taking the UK out of that European Union."
