Jeremy Corbyn holds talks with shadow cabinet members on reshuffle

Ex-London mayor Ken Livingston, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, said Mr Burnham could be asked to swap jobs with shadow foreign secretary Hiliary Benn.

The Labour leader is widely anticipated to be gearing up to reshuffle his shadow cabinet after a shadow cabinet divide past year over whether to extend air strikes into Syria.

Shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden while speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour said that Mr Corbyn’s in his “whole career” has disagreed with party leaders.

It comes after a fortnight of speculation and criticism from Mr Corbyn’s own shadow ministers that he had failed to kill rumours that had created instability, with figures such as Mr Benn and Ms Eagle in the dark about their futures.

Sacking Mr Dugher, who also voted for bombing in Syria, could anger his senior allies such as deputy leader Tom Watson and shadow home secretary Andy Burnham.

She told Sky News’ Murnaghan programme that she believed all members of the shadow cabinet were doing a good job but it was a “matter for the leader” whether Mr Benn kept his post.

She has publicly criticised Mr Corbyn over his strong opposition to renewing Trident and is expected to be moved to a job where she shares more in common with the leadership.

I would suggest no hope at all and by his bloodymindedness will never get the opportunity to fight the corner of the downtrodden from Downing Street because like the rest of the cloth-eared Parliamentarians, of all political persuasion, they “always know best” and refuse to listen, until they need our vote.

In addition the veteran MP Diane Abbott is expected to be rewarded for her loyalty to Mr Corbyn but she has dismissed suggestions she could replace Mr Benn as “poppycock and piffle”.

The shadow cabinet minister insisted Labour is a “broad church not a religious cult” and warned Mr Corbyn that a big reshuffle would be inconsistent with his calls for open debate in the party.

He added: “If Jeremy Corbyn offered me that and said, ‘I need this, I need you to do it, this is essential that you do it, ‘ I would have to think about it…”

It seems, and Jeremy Corbyn’s office says no final decisions have been taken, that any big moves are now off the table. They are not real politicians and I am afraid it is a disaster.

‘I haven’t been spoken to by anyone so I think it’s complete speculation’.

Another nine shadow cabinet members voted for air strikes after the leader was forced to allow a free vote – fuelling suggestions he could replace them with left-wing supporters.

‘It will change of course because the Labour Party has been on its knees many times before…

‘They’ve probably got even deeper in that embrace because they feel so much more comfortable there’.

Leading moderate MP John Woodcock (left) last night urged Mr Corbyn to stay true to his promise of a “kinder” politics and not to carry out the reshuffle.

“What I will hold him to account for is what experiences he has to be the mayor of the greatest city in the world”.