Shropshire MPs warn Corbyn is a threat to Britain

Mr Corbyn was a rank outsider when the leadership contest began, but won a crushing victory, gaining 59.5 per cent of the 422,000 votes cast.

Today the veteran left-winger was choosing his shadow cabinet.

David Cameron rang Mr Corbyn over the weekend to congratulate him on his victory and while many have passed on their good wishes, politicians across Shropshire warned he was in for a tough time.

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski said: "I am delighted to see that a former pupil of Adams' Grammar School has reached the top of the British political system.

"But while I congratulate him and his overwhelming victory, I have to say I disagree with everything he stands for.

The headmaster of Jeremy Corbyn's old grammar school in Shropshire has congratulated the new Labour leader on his triumph – and challenged him to come back to see the benefits of a selective education.

Mr Corbyn was a pupil at Adams' Grammar School in Newport from 1960 to 1967. But his political career has been characterised by his vocal criticism of the grammar school system.

Present headmaster Gary Hickey congratulated Mr Corbyn on his victory, and said he hoped he would come back to see how the school has changed since he was a pupil. Mr Hickey said: "I would like to congratulate Jeremy Corbyn on his recent election success. We're always delighted when any former pupil succeeds in their chosen career.

"Mr Corbyn's opinions on selective schools such as Adams' are well known, but I warmly invite him to come and visit his former school to see the great many changes that have taken place and to talk to our pupils about their experience."

While Mr Corbyn might not be a supporter of grammar schools like Adams', he follows in a long line of former pupils who have help shaped British history.

Throughout its 359-year history, former Adams pupils – who are known as Old Novaportans – have left their mark on all aspects of British life.

Mr Corbyn's contemporaries at Adams' during the 1960s would have included former Radio 1 DJ Simon Bates, who is two years older than the Labour leader, and former Tory MP Peter Butler.

Also wishing Mr Corbyn well was Mark Crewe-Read, headmaster of the fee-paying Castle House School in Newport where the politician attended from the ages of seven to 11.

"I'm delighted for him if that's what he wants to achieve. We're proud of his success. We wish him well," Mr Crewe-Read said.

Mr Crewe-Read did, though, voice reservations about Mr Corbyn's expressed desire to remove charitable status from private schools, saying it would have a major impact.

"For example, his idea of pulling the UK out of NATO would be disastrous."

An MP for the North Islington constituency since 1983, it is clear that Mr Corbyn intends to move his party further to the left.

Telford MP Lucy Allan said there can be no doubt that Jeremy Corbyn has re-energised the Labour Party. She said: "He is a rare conviction politician, whose authenticity and likeability has engaged many people in the political process for the first time. Ordinarily I would welcome this as being good for democracy, however, Jeremy Corbyn's politics are the politics of extreme old fashioned socialism – it poses a serious threat to our economy and our security."

She added: "I want to see stability, security and opportunity for Telford and for Britain, where people are incentivised to work hard and aspire to a better future. Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minster would be bad for Britain and terrible for Telford."

Labour councillor Andy Burford, of the Dawley & Aqueduct ward, was one of Jeremy Corbyn's named supporters on his nomination to be leader.

He said: "The key thing the Labour Party now have to do is build unity so that they can effectively work to tackle the Tory agenda."

New Labour may be dead, but, according to Mr Corbyn's supporters, there is an appetite in the country for a Labour Party returning to more traditional values.

John Evans, from Randlay, Telford, is a veteran Labour campaigner, who as a 10-year-old helped gather polling cards at the 1945 election that swept Labour to power.

He said: "I am not worried about the party moving to the left, because I resigned from the party because they were not left-wing enough. I think Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader is highly positive.

"One of the big problems he will have to deal with is the British obsession with having Trident. We are not a great power anymore and need to have a reasoned debate about the future of Trident.

"One of Labour's biggest mistakes locally was selling off social housing in Telford, which has created problems for young people today."

Not everyone is so complimentary.

Shropshire is dominated by the Conservatives following the general election and its MPs today warned the new Labour leader was a threat to Britain.

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson said: "He wants to take us back to the 1970s and does not accept that the free market has delivered economic security and jobs. You only have to look at the last election where all Shropshire seats went to Conservative candidates, and that was because the electorate understood that a free market is an essential component of a successful society.

"This country needs a strong opposition, one that understands economic realities. Mr Corbyn's election as Labour leader does not provide that and is not a good development."

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said: "I congratulate Jeremy Corbyn, as a Shropshire-raised MP, on such a decisive election result in becoming the latest leader of the Labour Party.

"His pronouncements on defence issues in the past are troubling. So as Leader of the Opposition, I sincerely hope that he comes to recognise the importance of maintaining national security and does not advocate putting this at risk by pursuing policies to withdraw from Nato, to remove our strategic deterrent and to reduce substantially the capability of our Armed Forces."

Councillor Kuldip Sahota, Labour's leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said it was time for his party to unite behind the new leader.

"Mr Corbyn got almost 50 per cent of the vote, so as you can see the Labour Party has spoken," he said.

"I now believe we should accept this and move on and I do think he is the right leader for the Labour Party; democracy has spoken and I am pleased with the results for Labour Party nationally. But from a local point, we will continue to bring growth and jobs to Telford, just as we promised with our manifesto."

Labour councillor Vernon Bushell, who represents Shrewsbury's Harlescott ward, said it was no surprise Mr Corbyn won.

He said: "I agree with some of his ideas, but not with others; his election is not bad news, as it is clear that the Labour Party are looking for a change. I think he has chosen an excellent deputy leader in Tom Watson and time will tell on how his leadership will turn out but, one thing is for certain, it is going to be very interesting."

Meanwhile, Labour's new deputy leader, Tom Watson, said there is 'zero chance' of a successful coup against Mr Corbyn, despite conceding significant policy differences with him on key issues.

The Midland MP said the left-winger was putting together a 'broad based' shadow cabinet and urged moderate colleagues to respect the 'huge mandate' provided by his convincing leadership contest win.

Prime Minister David Cameron warned that Labour under him posed "a threat to our national security, our economic security and your family's security".

The immediate resignations of a string of senior figures underlined the task Mr Corbyn faced uniting the party behind his anti-war and anti-austerity platform.

But left-wing ally Diane Abbott said Mr Corbyn will not seek Britain's exit from Nato.