Corbyn bid to tighten grip upon Labour

Reshuffle plan after shadow sackings

JEREMY Corbyn is plotting to tighten his grip on Labour following his party’s shambles over Brexit.

The Labour leader will spend the weekend working on a reshuffle after he sacked three shadow ministers who defied him over Europe.

His main ally, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, has apparently made it clear that only loyal backbenchers should be promoted, reportedly saying there should be ‘no jobs for traitors’.

It came as the party’s splits over Europe deepened, with Remain-supporting Labour MP Wes Streeting complaining that supporters would be ‘disappointed’ that Mr Corbyn has ruled out single market membership.

But the Labour leader has been emboldened after defying expectations by gaining seats in last month’s general election. Left-wingers are hoping to exploit the momentum to push through key changes to the party’s rules. This is due to include handing more seats on the National Executive Committee to Mr Corbyn’s hard-Left allies.

There are even claims that Momentum, the Corbynite splinter group, is seeking to de-select critics in the parliamentary party.

It is understood to have targeted Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire, who secured a massive 37,000 majority and has recently recovered from cancer, because of previous clashes with the leader.

Mr Corbyn is expected to fill the gaps in his team early next week, but the prospect of a return for some of the party’s centrist ‘big beasts’, such as Yvette Cooper or Chuka Umunna, look slim.

The shadow chancellor has been demanding that only loyal MPs are promoted, according to the London Evening Standard. One MP told the newspaper: ‘John’s going round saying, “no jobs for traitors”.’ Aides to Mr McDonnell denied he made the comment.

One of the major gaps the leader must fill is in the home affairs

‘Unfriendly to the leader’

team, where Diane Abbott is the only MP representing the party on the issue in the Commons. Four MPs normally cover the brief.

Junior shadow ministers Lyn Brown, Carolyn Harris and Rupa Huq have all left while Miss Abbott has been in charge.

It came after Labour’s splits over Europe re-emerged, with nearly 50 of the party’s MPs – a fifth of the total – defying the leader on Thursday night to support an amendment demanding Britain stays in the EU single market.

In a sign of his stronger position, Mr Corbyn sacked three frontbenchers who joined the Commons rebellion – Andy Slaughter, Ruth Cadbury and Catherine West. Shadow transport minister Daniel Zeichner quit before the vote.

Mr Streeting yesterday warned that Mr Corbyn’s position that Brexit meant leaving the single market would alienate many of those who voted for the party. The main priority for supporters of Mr Corbyn’s Left-wing agenda is to get a motion passed at conference this autumn that would reduce the threshold for MPs to stand in leadership contests.

Currently candidates need nominations from 15 per cent of MPs and MEPs, or 44 names, to feature in the ballot. That makes it hard for the Left to enter the contest because the parliamentary party is more weighted to the centre.

Potential changes being proposed include reducing that level to 5 per cent, or allowing candidates into the race if they secure 15 per cent of nominations from local Labour groups and unions.

There are also claims that activists from the Corbyn-backing Momentum group are trying to make it easier to deselect MPs seen as unfriendly to the leader.

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