Jeremy Corbyn completes reshuffle of Labour front bench

Mr McFadden told Sky News he had never rebelled against the Labour whip in 11 years as an MP and had been keen to do his duty and fight to keep Britain in the EU.

Shadow rail minister Jonathan Reynolds and shadow defence minister Kevan Jones also quit. There could be more to come before the end of the day.

Mr Doughty dismissed her attack as “nonsense”, pointing out he worked for more than seven years for worldwide charities including Oxfam and campaigns such as Make Poverty History before an 18-month spell as a special adviser at the Department for global Development under the last Labour government.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn kept his position, but only after reportedly agreeing to refrain from publicly challenging Corbyn’s foreign policy in future.

Maria Eagle has been moved from the key shadow defence secretary role and replaced by Emily Thornberry – known to share Mr Corbyn’s views on scrapping Britain’s nuclear deterrent. He told the Standard: “The party needs a strong defence policy and I can provide that best from the backbenches”. “We shouldn’t be asking if the leader of the opposition is happy to have the Member for Leeds Central, we know he’s not, the question is ‘what on earth is the Member for Leeds Central and others doing in this Labour party government?'”.

Labour finance spokesman John McDonnell, a close Corbyn colleague, said the trio were from a “narrow, right-wing clique” who disrespected Corbyn’s mandate.

McDonnell said Mr Corbyn was trying to “hold everyone together but be very clear about our direction of travel in terms of policy”.

Labour announced that former junior education spokeswoman Pat Glass would replace Europe shadow secretary Pat McFadden, while Emily Thornberry would replace Maria Eagle as defense spokeswoman.

The Labour leader spoke out for the first time to defend the length of his shake-up, saying it took three days because he wanted to “listen to everybody”.

Another member of the shadow cabinet, culture spokesman Michael Dugher, was also sacked.

In a letter to Jeremy Corbyn, Jonathan Reynolds said Mr McFadden “was right to condemn those who would to any degree absolve Isis [Islamic State] for their actions following the atrocities in Paris”.

The PM replied: “I have the greatest sympathy with anyone who has been flooded and we have to do what it takes to get to people and get communities back on their feet”. But foreign policy chief Hilary Benn, whose position had initially appeared in doubt, stayed.

Some sources say Corbyn had questioned some leading lawmakers’ loyalty.

“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 Livingstone was forced to apologise after he said that Mr Jones, who has previously opened up about his battle with depression, “might need psychiatric help” after the Durham MP voiced criticism of his appointment.

JEREMY CORBYN can draw strength from this week’s messy front bench shake-up, his supporters said yesterday amid a flurry of resignations from “unknown” junior spokesmen.