British shadow ministers resign in Labour party revolt

Mr Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain’s Labour, has sacked his European Union policy chief and transferred his defence spokesman to tighten control over his unruly party.

In a letter to the Labour leader, Mr Reynolds specifically refers to the sacking of the shadow Europe secretary Pat McFadden as he explains why he no longer wishes to remain on the party’s frontbench.

But he’s thrown out two people his team believe were disloyal (Pat McFadden’s departure seems to be a particularly late creation in the reshuffle – Jeremy Corbyn didn’t even have the offending disloyal quote from Mr McFadden in front of him when he sacked Mr McFadden).

The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, described the shadow junior ministers who had resigned as a “a narrow rightwing clique”.

Kevan Jones became the third shadow minister to resign today as he claimed he couldn’t work with new shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry, who opposes the renewal of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent.

When asked about his exchanges with Michael Dugher, whom he sacked as Shadow Culture Secretary, he said: “We’ve had an exchange of views”.

The row erupted just hours after the reshuffle ended with two sackings and a dispute over whether shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn agreed to be “gagged” to keep his post.

Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone – who is jointly heading a Labour defence policy review and was heavily criticised after suggesting Mr Jones needed to see a psychiatrist – rejected suggestions the leader was not in a position to demand loyalty after being a serial rebel under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

McFadden joined the former culture spokesman, Michael Dugher, in announcing his own dismissal. I had well publicised differences with him on foreign policy and national security… but I recognised the mandate that Jeremy had been given by the party.

Mr Cruddas told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend: “I think there is a danger that over the last three weeks over Christmas all we’ve heard about from Labour is reshuffle stories rather than trying to call to account the Government and call them out on some of the flood management and the like”. That is because during the four general elections under Blair and Brown, local Labour parties weren’t allowed to choose the candidate they wanted, they had to select from a list approved by the party bureaucracy.

Mr Corbyn said: “I know there are critics”.

“And I think that’s who I am, a lot of people with the Christian faith with recognise those traits in themselves whatever jobs they do”. Thornberry has voted against renewing Trident.

The reshuffle exposes “major divisions inside the parliamentary Labour party”, he said.

“But don’t underestimate the determination of the Labour Party to achieve on housing, achieve on social justice, achieve on a developing economy, achieve on manufacturing”.

Mr Corbyn could otherwise have again found himself at loggerheads with the shadow minister supposed to be presenting the party’s position in Parliament.

Corbyn will in future govern the direction of foreign policy and Benn will have to speak from the backbenches in the event of any disagreement.