Michael Dugher ‘sacked’ by Jeremy Corbyn in shadow cabinet reshuffle

Michael Dugher said he has “paid the price” for speaking out in defence of colleagues.

The U.K.’s Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn might keep his job despite his disagreements with Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, over British air strikes in Syria.

Senior party sources also said Mr Corbyn had reached an “agreement” with Mr Benn that there should be no repeat of the scenes in the Commons over Syria – when they set out opposing views on the issue.

He said he “believed Jeremy when he said we could have a free vote [on Syria]” and said he had joined the shadow cabinet because he thought debate and dissent would be allowed.

Mr McFadden had warned Mr Corbyn against carrying out a “purge” of moderates.

In a sarcy confirmation, he wished Corbyn a happy new year.

Mr Dugher said he spoke out after the “terrible trashing” of colleagues’ reputations.

Pro-Trident Maria Eagle has been sacked from her job as shadow defence secretary by Jeremy Corbyn.

Jon Ashworth, shadow minister without portfolio, said: ” I’ve been mates with @MichaelDugher since I was 16.

The decision to sack Mr Dugher was criticised by Mr Watson along with eight other shadow ministers including Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, Lucy Powell, the shadow education secretary and Vernon Coaker, the shadow global development secretary.

The reshuffle, described as “the longest in living memory”, left shadow ministers furious as they accused their leader of “indecision and incompetence”.

Maria Eagle, now shadow defence secretary, is likely to be replaced, but it’s not clear yet whether she will be moved to another shadow cabinet position.

“Some shadow cabinet ministers had got into the habit of regularly attacking the elected leadership, tipping over into abuse”, the source said.

“I think the sacking of Michael Dugher is not giving me any great confidence that that is going to be the case”. If he looked at the article I wrote in the New Statesman I was making a virtue of Jeremy’s new politics.

“I don’t think that works”. It marks her return to the shadow cabinet after she was forced to resign from her role as shadow attorney general under Ed Miliband for tweeting a picture of a white van and St George’s flag, an action that was interpreted as snobbery.

The Labour leader enjoys huge backing from party members – but wafer thin support among Labour MPs.