Labour MPs warn Jeremy Corbyn against ‘divisive’ reshuffle

After an hour-long meeting with Mr Benn on Monday, Mr Corbyn has reportedly backed down from removing him as Shadow Foreign Secretary, while Shadow Defence Secretary Maria Eagle – another top figure under threat – is expected to be moved rather than sacked.

Mr Benn’s very public disagreement with Mr Corbyn over airstrikes in Syria put him in the firing line, with some in Team Corbyn believing that it’s untenable to have a shadow foreign secretary at odds with the leader over issues of war.

One of Mr Corbyn’s closest allies, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, warned on Sky News last week that Mr Benn, who has been touted as next Labour leader, needed to be “fully engaged”.

The decision over Miss Eagle’s future is particularly critical as she is co-chair of the party’s defence review and a supporter of the Trident nuclear deterrent, which Mr Corbyn wants to scrap. While Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Dianne Abbott has dismissed as rumours the speculation that she will be offered the position of Shadow Foreign Secretary, saying it is “poppycock and piffle”.

He rebuffed questions during a brief appearance this morning at King’s Cross station in London to protest about rail fare rises.

But Mr Howells speculated that Labour had been controlled by “lunatics” since Ed Miliband’s time as leader.

Both left without making comment to waiting journalists.

Mr Coyle said: “The idea that Corbyn must only include clones and drones in the shadow cabinet is farcical”.

Former leadership contender Andy Burnham said Mr Dugher, who ran his campaign, had served the party with distinction. “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, which is about … having debate”, he said.

Mr Corbyn began a series of meetings with his aides and members of his shadow cabinet at 2pm, which were still ongoing at 9pm on Monday evening.

Asked if she thought Benn was doing a good job, she said: “I think all my colleagues are doing a good job … we want to be holding the government to account over their decisions and we have seen a number of them doing that over the Christmas break”.

Michael Dugher announced he had been “sacked” from the post of shadow culture secretary as part of the Labour leader’s shake-up of the shadow Cabinet.

“This is no time for divisive reshuffles or an introspective debate about party structures”.

But he added: “What I am not going to do is for the next three months differentiate myself from Jeremy Corbyn, because I will speak for my own policies and my own vision for this great city, and let Jeremy do the important job of being leader of the Labour Party”.

Ms Winterton, received the title for her political and parliamentary services, was first elected as MP for the Doncaster Central constituency in 1997.

The Commons vote on bombing ISIS in Syria – when 11 shadow cabinet members took advantage of a free vote to back David Cameron – has appeared to drive the Labour leadership’s thinking.