McDonnell takes the reins as ‘worn-out’ Corbyn steps aside

JOHN McDONNELL is now effectively the Labour leader as a ‘tired’ Jeremy Corbyn prepares to step back, senior party insiders claimed last night.

They said the Shadow Chancellor is in day-to-day charge of the party with Mr Corbyn happy for his longterm ally to ‘run the show’ and maintain the Left’s grip on the party.

There are even suggestions the Labour l eader would formally stand aside to let pro-Remain Mr McDonnell become interim Prime Minister in an anti-No Deal coalition ‘ unity government’ if Boris Johnson fails to seal a Brexit deal.

The claims emerged amid reports that Mr McDonnell, one of Mr Corbyn’s oldest political allies, was behind last week’s alleged ‘ demotion’ of key Corbyn aide Karie Murphy.

The shock decision t o move chief of staff Ms Murphy from the leader’s office to a ‘non-job’ at the party’s London HQ was viewed as a clear sign the Shadow Chancellor is now ‘calling the shots’.

It was also seen as an indication that Labour was moving foursquare behind a second Brexit referendum, with arch-Brexiteer Ms Murphy seen as a major obstacle to that. In an interview published on Friday, Mr McDonnell – who at 68 is only two years younger than Mr Corbyn – said he and the leader would have to quit if Labour lost the next Election.

He also appeared to rule himself out of stepping into Mr Corbyn’s shoes in any event, saying ‘whoever comes after Jeremy has got to be a woman’.

He mentioned party schools spokeswoman Angela Rayner as a contender, although Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca LongBailey is thought to be Mr McDonnell’s preferred candidate.

Corbyn critic Jess Phillips reacted by saying she might stand for the leadership if the 70-year-old quit.

But senior party sources said Mr McDonnell could still take over as leader if the General Election is postponed until next spring.

One said: ‘It’s clear what’s going on here is a battle over Jeremy’s succession, with him and McDonnell keen to ensure the Left – and not the moderates – stay on top.

‘Obviously, if there’s an Election before Christmas, Jeremy leads us into it. But if not, John could very well take over even if only on a temporary basis. If we end up having a second referendum rather than an early Election, Corbyn may well call it a day. He looks really tired and he won’t want to lead us in another referendum campaign.’

The source added that Mr McDonnell was likely to win more support than deputy leader Tom Watson as the only figure capable of ‘ bridging the gap’ between Corbynistas and moderates.

Insiders also claim Mr McDonnell is the only Labour figure Mr Corbyn would step aside for to head a coalition anti-No Deal government, given that Liberal Democrats and Tory rebels have vowed never to put Mr Corbyn into No 10.

Senior Lib Dem MPs dismissed the prospect last night, saying the Shadow Chancellor was ‘ just as toxic’ as Mr Corbyn for them.

Sources close to Mr Corbyn last night said there was ‘no question’ of him standing down if there was no early Election, insisting he was ‘fighting fit’. They also said that he – not Mr McDonnell – took ‘all major decisions’.

A spokesperson for Mr McDonnell dismissed talk of leadership ambition on his part as ‘rubbish’ and said he was not responsible for staffing in the leader’s office nor in the party’s HQ.