Tom Watson is the new deputy leader of the Labour Party.

The West Bromwich East MP had been overwhelming bookies' favourite to be Labour's number two and saw off challenges from Ben Bradshaw, Stella Creasy, Angela Eagle and Caroline Flint.

Mr Watson took 39.4% of votes - 160,852 first preferences out of the 408,470 ballots cast - in the first round of counting at the QEII centre in Westminster.

But he was elected over Ms Creasy with 50.7% of votes in the third round of counting after the second preferences of eliminated candidates Ben Bradshaw and Angela Eagle were redistributed under the alternative vote system. His victory came just moments before the announcement of Labour's new leader.

Elected to Parliament in 2001, 48-year-old Mr Watson - an ex-flatmate of union boss Len McCluskey - played a small part in toppling Tony Blair and served as minister for digital engagement under Gordon Brown.

He was given charge of the 2015 election campaign by Ed Miliband but quit as deputy chair at the height of the Falkirk candidate selection row in 2013.

Mr Watson gained wider public prominence when he turned his "attack dog" attentions from political opponents to the Murdoch media empire and helped expose the phone hacking scandal.