Shadow rail minister Jonathan Reynolds quit on Wednesday morning after a reshuffle, which saw shadow Europe secretary Pat McFadden and shadow culture secretary Michael Dugher sacked for “disloyalty” and Maria Eagle moved from defence because she backs Trident.
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The Tyneside MP, who was formerly Private Parliamentary Secretary to Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, will play a key role in holding the Conservatives to account over the Northern Powerhouse agenda and as they devolve powers to bodies such as the North East Combined Authority.
But on his relationship with Shadow Foreign Secretary Mr Benn, he said: “I have had lots of conversations with Hilary Benn and we get on fine”.
“We have got to be credible on defence in the country and I think appointing Emily is a mistake”, Mr Jones said.
“We have had a few junior members resign today and of course that’s their right but they do all come from a sort of a narrow right-wing clique within the Labour Party based around the organisation Progress, largely”, he told BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show.
The BBC’s political correspondent Chris Mason said Europe spokesman Mr McFadden was being dismissed for “incompetence and disloyalty” – according to Labour leadership sources.
He added: “I feel the best way to do this is to not to be a member of the Labour frontbench at this time, which would then allow me to have more freedom to engage in these arguments”.
Final details of Mr Corbyn’s reshuffle – the first since he became leader in September – emerged late in the evening.
Speaking to regional newspapers at Westminster, Mr Corbyn said he had not delivered what some have called a “revenge reshuffle”, describing it instead as “an adjustment”.
And then by the shadow armed forces minister Kevan Jones, who said he disagreed with Mr Corbyn on scrapping the Trident nuclear deterrent.
“We are confident that when the economic, security and other factors are taken into consideration, that a new policy will be decided that responds to the needs of the 21st century”.
Mr Jones – who was a member of the defence team – said the appointment of Ms Thornberry was “a mistake” though his claim that the view was shared by Tom Watson was denied by the deputy leader.
He said Mr McFadden and his allies, including the three shadow ministers who resigned in protest at his sacking, had distorted what Mr Corbyn told him on the telephone and had toured the airwaves to repeat their “lies”.
“Hilary Benn has ensured that he works more closely with Jeremy in the future and that he will be representing the views of the Labour Party”, he said.
“Hopefully, touch wood, before we get to day three of what will be the longest reshuffle in history, we haven’t had those mass sackings”.
In effect, she was accusing them of being career politicians – people who don’t have life experience outside of politics.
Pro-Trident Maria Eagle was replaced as shadow defence secretary by Emily Thornberry, who shares the leader’s opposition to renewal of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
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“And I think you’re a total sell-out for sending your own kids to private school”.
