Jeremy Corbyn wins again

He wins again. After more than five hours of deliberation, the Labour Party's ruling machine, the NEC, voted to agree that Jeremy Corbyn should automatically be on the leadership ballot for the party's contest this summer.

He took on and beat the Labour establishment last summer, and today he did it another time.

Labour rebels who have tried to shove him out have tried almost everything now.

Public criticism, mass resignations, private persuasion have all failed. Now an attempt by the party's establishment to use the rule book to stop him running for the job again through the NEC has failed too.

There may yet be a legal challenge to tonight's decision, but it is unlikely to have much success.

So whether it is foolhardy stubbornness or admirable determination, Mr Corbyn has done what he always said he would do, stay on to honour what he sees as an iron clad mandate from the membership.

His team are sure that they will do that again in the race over the summer, even with importantly different rules that were agreed at the NEC tonight too. But others are equally as determined to stop him - nervous now that if he wins once more, that the Labour Party itself it might not survive.