They're assuming that if Corbyn wins he'll want the same people in his shadow cabinet as Miliband did. Given their utterly lacklustre performance as a group, I see absolutely no reason why he'd want to do that. You can only refuse to do something if you've been asked to do it, and I can see quite a lot of them not being asked.

When does this election take place?

Now . People have been able to vote by post or electronically since the start of the month I think. Results to be announced on the 14th IIRC.

Voting closes at 12pm today. Results to be announced Saturday.

Results to be announced around midday. Looks like the Newsservices are kicking off coverage at 11am.

Dear God, it's going to take 10 seconds to announce the winner, they're going to make a 30 second speech and the news channels are going to surround it with two hours of waffle.

They'll do it like MasterChef and pretty much any other game show now:

The winner of the Labour Party leadership contest is
<overly long dramatic pause, low meanacing tone from a synthesiser>....

And the whole room and everyone watching is already thinking 'Just effing get on with it!'

BBC are saying Corbyn on first round voting.

Yes, we need to pull together and change this country and win!! YEY, but, perhaps first things first guys...

Sky have leaked, Corbyn wins! First Round.

Deputy election going to third preference votes. Oof.

Yup. Just over 59% of the votes in first round. Liz Kendall got less than 5%, ouch.

Apparently Corbyn got over 50% first preference votes in every category of voter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34223157

Good on him. I mean it wasn't even close, so hopefully the rest of the party will smell what the electorate is cooking. And especially the young. The difference between Corbyn and the other 'left-wingers' in the past? People not only believe Corbyn but that he'll also do what he says without squirming and backpedalling later. I hope he can live up to his ideals without the rest of the PLP holding him back, because it's they who are clearly out of touch.

They can totally pick up Lib Dem votes, be there in Scotland when nationalism loses it's lustre, indeed catch the eye of those in England who looked at the SNP wishing for that sort of 'left-wing' conviction, maybe hoover up the UKIP votes come the referendum aftermath (Farage was shown to be very weak when it came to refugees IMO, and he'll never have the party machinery to sustain his argument long term anyway).

Frankly, it's gonna be more of a struggle for Corbyn personally rather than the party - every newspaper and pundit has a lesser-spotted easy target in terms of traditional narrative. On that front, he should form alliances with the Lib Dems and SNP - make an informal voting block in parliament if possible. They've a lot in common, and the Tories will be looking to decimate the country as usual...

One day you will all pretend you never liked Corbyn.