LABOUR’S newest councillor has backed Jeremy Corbyn to remain as leader after hearing messages of support from voters.

Emily Owen, a 21-year-old social policy and criminology student at Bangor University, was elected to Conwy County Borough Council on Thursday night after winning 248 votes compared to 200 for the Tories and 126 for the Lib Dems.

Ms Owen, who has been a Labour member since she was 17 and was standing for the first time, admitted that Mr Corbyn had become a “love him or hate him” figure in the party.

But she told the Morning Star how her experience on the campaign trail in a Tory-held constituency has boosted her belief that Mr Corbyn is the right man to lead the party.

She said: “Obviously I was asked about Jeremy Corbyn because he’s in the news at the moment.

“That’s been a hot topic of conversation on the doorstep.

“But people that I have spoken to have been supportive of him and are a little bit dismayed at attempts to split the party.

“Hopefully that will be resolved within the next couple of weeks.”

Ms Owen spoke after former Labour leader Neil Kinnock claimed Mr Corbyn was seen as “weird” among working-class Welsh voters.

“That is what you’re getting from people who yearn to vote Labour but are inhibited by the fact that Jeremy is still our leader,” Mr Kinnock can be heard telling MPs in a leaked recording of Monday’s Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.

A poll released by Cardiff University this week found 69 per cent of Labour members in Wales hadn’t heard of Owen Smith, a Welsh MP poised to challenge Mr Corbyn for the leadership.

Mr Corbyn also had an approval rating of 6.7 out of 10 compared to 4.6 for Mr Smith.