Shadow Defence Minister Kevan Jones has resigned from the Labour front bench in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet reshuffle. She was replaced by Emily Thornberry, who unlike Eagle has voted against replacing Britain’s Trident nuclear-weapons system.
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Close ally and shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who left shortly afterwards, told reporters the discussions over Ms Eagle’s position had been resolved “amicably”.
The Labour leader faced a backlash from MPs after sacking outspoken culture spokesman Mr Dugher in the first act of a “revenge reshuffle” that made a mockery of his claim to be tolerant of dissent. A source said the scheme referred to by the Labour leader was one of a number put forward and it was turned down in favour of another proposal, which is now being implemented.
Corbyn did not move foreign policy spokesman Hilary Benn, who publicly opposed his leader during a House of Commons debate on Syria airstrikes last month.
Before the reshuffle, Phillips called for Corbyn to promote women to one of the four shadow great offices of state as a sign the leadership was prepared to tackle low-level misogyny within Labour, but she said the end result was a missed opportunity.
Doughty quit his junior foreign affairs brief live on BBC television, saying Corbyn’s office had told “lies” about why McFadden had been dismissed.
During Wednesday’s reshuffle, Corbyn fired two other Labour figures.
Briefings suggested his former boss Ms Eagle had taken on her “dream” role as shadow culture secretary. For good measure, Mr Corbyn sacked Pat McFadden – who represents Wolverhampton South East – as Europe minister.
“He has recognised the mandate that Jeremy Corbyn has with our members, an overwhelming mandate, and he’ll recognise his leadership on this issue”. “I will take them to task on these issues”.
Mr Jones said he “personally got on very well” with Mr Corbyn but believed “the people around him are advising him very badly”.
“I know he will continue be a strong advocate for fairness and social justice in parliament and will serve the people of Stalybridge and Hyde vigorously from the backbenches”. The Labour Party needs credible policies on defence and security.
Peter Mandelson, a former United Kingdom government minister under ex-prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and a leading critic of Corbyn from within the Labour Party, this morning condemned the changes. “Maria Eagle has been demoted and obviously Pat McFadden and Michael Dugher singled out I think very unfairly for being very straight talking and honest, which I thought it what the new politics was about”.
In his letter to Mr Corbyn, Mr Reynolds says he understands that Mr Corbyn felt he had to make changes to the top team but adds he does not feel he can work on the frontbench any longer.
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Speaking to the BBC’s Daily Politics programme, Livingstone said that as the man in charge of Labour’s defence review, he was going to look at whether Britain should withdraw from a military alliance that has pretty much defined Britain’s military presence in the world for the past 60 years.
