Lord Falconer, the shadow justice secretary, and Michael Dugher, the shadow culture secretary, were both expected to lose their jobs after clashing with Mr Corbyn.
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Former London mayor Ken Livingstone – a close Corbyn ally – said he believed it might be “better” for Mr Benn to be moved to another post and thought it “quite likely” he could be asked to swap jobs with shadow home secretary Andy Burnham, though he insisted he did not know whether this was what the leader was planning.
Jeremy Corbyn wants to shift Hilary Benn and Maria Eagle from their jobs as shadow foreign secretary and shadow defence secretary with the aim of asserting his authority over the divisive policy areas that have dogged his leadership.
Ms Eagle’s position was unclear too, although the party leadership is now determined to stage another email consultation with party members on the issue of Trident – as hinted by Mr Corbyn in his HuffPost UK interview – ahead of party conference next year. In my experience having worked closely with previous leaders there’s a reason why they tend to be a bit reluctant to go down the path of big reshuffles.
He has told Sky News “Labour should be working together, supporting one another, recognising we are a broad church not a cult”.
‘Ultimately that will be a decision for Jeremy’.
In the reshuffle, planned for the end of this week, those familiar with his wishes say that removing Eagle is “No 1” on the list of changes Corbyn wants to make, because she backs the renewal of Trident nuclear weapons, which he opposes.
The prospect of a reshuffle has triggered alarm among some of the more centrist members of the shadow cabinet.
Don’t forget, Jeremy Corbyn built his own career by being a serial rebel, voting against his party leader again and again and again.
He said: “It might very well be the case – and I have no knowledge of this – that it would be better to move Hilary Benn to something where he’s in agreement with Jeremy Corbyn rather than where he’s in disagreement”.
“It keeps me awake at night”, he told Pienaar’s Politics.
Mr Benn offered no comment to waiting reporters as he left the Labour leader’s office after a meeting lasting more than an hour on Monday evening.
“I’ve never seen the party in such a deplorable state”.
As the reshuffle talks began on Monday Mr Corbyn moved journalists away from his office telling them: “Excuse me guys do you mind not hanging around outside my office door, could you all leave please”.
“No one has spoken to me about a promotion to the shadow cabinet”, he said.
“It isn’t an opposition – in a democracy you’ve got to have an opposition and we haven’t got one at the moment”.
Wes Streeting, a moderate Labour MP, said that the reshuffle is “introspective and naval-gazing” and further undermines the party’s credibility with voters.
Labour former policy chief Jon Cruddas said the lack of ideas at the top of the party was allowing the focus to shift to internal strife.
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All have had public disputes with Mr Corbyn since being appointed four months ago – leading critics to brand the latest shake-up a “revenge reshuffle”.
