Jez unmasked as a ruthless Brexiteer by Smith sacking

Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet has been shuffled more times than a Vegas blackjack dealer’s pack of cards.

What is more extraordinary than some of those Corbyn has ditched is those he hasn’t.

Owen Smith, the erstwhile leadership candidate, was the latest to be dropped for making remarks on Brexit which reflect the views of millions of Labour voters.

Smith has been very harshly treated by a man who was supposed to be a leading light in the Remain campaign but has since revealed himself to be a committed Brexiteer.

Take a look at the list of all the MPs who have received lenient treatment from the Labour leader.

He refused to condemn his Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell for branding DWP Secretary Esther McVey a “stain on humanity” and apparently calling for her to be lynched.

He brought Clive Lewis back into the Shadow Cabinet in January despite footage of him telling a man to “get on your knees, bitch”. Then there’s Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill MP Hugh Gaffney, whose racist and homophobic comments were descr ibed by Corbyn as “completely wrong”. Yet Gaffney’s only punishment was to be sent on diversity training.

Smith, who challenged Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2016, was sacked from Labour’s shadow front bench on Friday after daring to cal l for a second EU referendum.

Given the knife- edge referendum result in 2016, the uncertain nature of the deal and a growing number of people changing their minds about Brexit since then, there should be more prominent politicians taking Smith’s position, not fewer.

If Corbyn was really strong, he’d allow Smith freedom in the interests of balance and democracy.

But Corbyn won’t budge from his position that Britain should be out of Europe and out of the single market.

It’s a shameful position given that he campaigned – albeit half-heartedly – for Britain to remain in the EU.

He’s now as much a hardened Brexiteer as those on the Tory benches – and he won’t accept dissent or criticism of his position.

For years, when he was languishing on the backbenches, Corbyn regularly broke from the party line – but on this issue, though, he can’t stomach dissent.

There is one member of the Shadow Cabinet whose position on Brexit has left party and country in complete turmoil. If Corbyn wants to find him he should stand in front of a mirror.

Smith was the latest to be dropped for remarks which reflect views of millions