Jeremy Corbyn’s choice of strategy chief ‘shows lack of professionalism’

As well as the rather big problem of how to get rid of a leader they think is unpalatable to the general voting public, Labour MPs also have to work out how to protect themselves from deselection.

But Mr McDonnell suggested MPs were already being “radicalised” and they would have to be “accountable” to new supporters who joined the party in large numbers in the past six months and helped propel Mr Corbyn to victory as well as older members.

Mr Livingstone’s controversial intervention comes after veteran Labour backbencher Frank Field warned that the party faced civil war if left-wingers tried to force out sitting MPs. It estimated that in 54 of the seats the proposed changes will be larger than 40% of the territory of the constituency, potentially opening them up to new candidates.

Simon Danczuk seems to be the only member keen to talk about the former, claiming today that he’s happy to be a “stalking horse” if Labour performs badly in next May’s local, London and Holyrood elections.

The former Mayor of London said the parliamentary Labour party would likely be re-shaped in the image of Mr Corbyn as restrictions on who could become an MP from the Blair and Brown era were lifted.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told the BBC’s Andrew Marr that Mr Corbyn had made it clear that the existing rules for selecting MPs ahead of general elections would not be reviewed.

Guardian associate editor Seumas Milne is joining the new leader’s senior team “on leave” from the newspaper, to the anger of a few moderate MPs amid fears it will push the party further to the left.

‘It shouldn’t be a job for life’.

He has more limited support in the parliamentary Labour party, however.

He added: “We finally have Tory MPs squirming over the vote on tax credit cuts and we unleash more process barminess to divert attention”.

“I think we’re winning the socialist arguments more and through the democratic procedures of the Labour party”.

“So this week we launch an organisation called Labour Together”. They should have the right to challenge that.

Mr Danczuk, 49, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘If the results for Labour in May are as dire as we all fear, then yes I would be prepared to stand as a stalking horse against Jeremy Corbyn.

In response, Mr McDonnell said: “That is Simon being Simon isn’t it?”

Under the Labour rules for boundary changes, existing MPs have the right to be reselected for a new seat if they can claim a “substantial territorial interest” of at least 40% in the new seat.

But Frank Field, the former Labour welfare reform minister who nominated Corbyn to promote a debate within the party, said he would be prepared to break Labour rules to support any ousted MPs who stand as independents. He told Sunday Politics: “Now that’s a capital offence – a campaign for somebody standing against an official Labour candidate – but if enough of us go they can’t pick all of us off and expel the lot”.

They could look very different by the time the changes are published in 2018 because of the reduction in the number of seats from 650 to 600.

“In principle if I thought someone had been wronged I’d stand up”.