Labour reshuffle: Chris Leslie and Cat Smith clash over changes

Later in the same interview Mr Dugher however said he the article he had written was not critical of Mr Corbyn at all and was instead defending him.

Shadow women and equalities minister Cat Smith said Mr Corbyn was “within his right” to choose who was in his top team.

Maria Eagle, now shadow defence secretary, is likely to be replaced, but it’s not clear yet whether she will be moved to another shadow cabinet position.

Mr Smith added: “Jeremy Corbyn does have the right to reshuffle his Cabinet”.

He said: “Michael is Labour to the core and I have no doubt that he will continue to serve the best interests of our party in whatever way he can”.

Jon Ashworth, shadow minister without portfolio, said: “I’ve been mates with @MichaelDugher since I was 16”.

But Bassetlaw MP John Mann tweeted: “All this guff about @MichaelDugher. Personally I wouldn’t have freed him up, but then.” “He will be just as ferocious attacking the Tories from the b/benches”. “I said despite all the stuff we have read in papers I didn’t think Jeremy is a man motivated by revenge”.

Some believe the scope of the changes will end up narrower than mooted, as the leadership could face a major backlash in the parliamentary party if moderates are frozen out. “@MichaelDugher is a highly effective & authentic voice 4 working ppl & a great champion for #Labour”. “It’s also not very new politics”.

“Make a virtue of having debate and proper discussion…even Jeremy wants a little dissent. I was defending Jeremy and I was defending The New Politics”. “Straight-talking honest politics”, people were attracted to that.

He said he spoke out after the ” bad trashing” of colleague’s reputations.

Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie, who is no fan of Corbyn, told the BBC’s Daily Politics programme the reshuffle risked the “hard left” seizing control of the party.

As shadow ministers paid tribute to the “talented working-class MP”, he sarcastically said Labour would soon be reaching “day three of what would be the longest reshuffle in history”.

“In truth I don’t see it happening, and the reason I don’t see it happening is because I think it would be inconsistent with what Jeremy has talked about since he got the leadership”.