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Labour hit by resignations as three Corbyn ministers quit over defence policy

He became the third front bencher to resign today after Mr Corbyn sacked two “disloyal” senior figures and promoted a Trident opponent in his so-called “revenge reshuffle”.

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Mr Jones quit his defence role over the issue of Trident after Mr Corbyn replaced pro-nuclear weapons MP Maria Eagle with unilateralist Emily Thornberry.

Shadow culture secretary Michael Dugher was also dismissed from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet on Tuesday.

Mr McFadden said the leader told him his “disloyalty” included a comment in Parliament where he condemned people who viewed terrorist acts as “always being a response or a reaction to what we in the West do”.

However, Mr Corbyn stopped short of shifting Hilary Benn from shadow foreign secretary despite their high-profile clash over Syria air strikes.

He said nuclear disarmament is an issue that has divided the Labour Party, but added: “However, as you know from our discussions when you appointed me in this role, I do not agree with this view”.

Jeremy Corbyn has compared his reshuffle to playing three chess games at once – as he revealed he eventually signed it off by text.

“He clearly feels that me saying that terrorists are entirely responsible for their actions, that no one forces anyone to kill innocent people in Paris, blow up the London Underground, to behead innocent aid workers in Syria, that when I say they are entirely responsible for that he clearly interpreted that as an attack on him”. Thornberry has voted against renewing Trident.

She takes over the Culture brief from sacked shadow Minister Michael Dugher.

“My great failing in life is to listen to everybody at whatever greater length they wish to speak to me”, he said.

Jones said he “personally got on very well” with Corbyn but believed “the people around him are advising him very badly”. Labour’s former policy chief and MP for Dagenham and Rainham, Jon Cruddas, told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend that speculation about a shadow cabinet reshuffle had distracted the party from focusing on scrutinising the government’s management of the floods in northern England.

“It’s just like me and Jeremy in the past”, Mr McDonnell added. “I wouldn’t say I was an expert, but you wouldn’t need to be an expert to work out that this is a complete and utter shambles”.

“For the record… I was a trainee solicitor when elected, having gone to law school as a mature student and single parent”, he said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has revealed he put the finishing touches to his reshuffle by sending text messages on Wednesday evening as he was about to deliver a speech – more than two days after the process began.

To keep his position, Benn had to promise not to challenge Corbyn’s foreign policy positions so openly again in parliamentary debates, even though he had done so in the first place with Corbyn’s permission.

“It is that that led Mr Corbyn to believe I should not serve on the frontbench”.

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Former Labour leadership candidate Chuka Umunna said: “Sad to see Jonathan Reynolds leave our front bench – a huge talent who will now make a big contribution promoting Labour values from the back benches”.

Kevan Jones