Jeremy Corbyn ‘will not sack 14 Labour front bench rebels’ in fresh blow to his authority
Labour leader has to decide the fate of shadow ministers who defied his three-line whip on triggering Article 50
JEREMY Corbyn faces fresh humiliation today as he is expected to allow rebel MPs who voted against triggering Article 50 to remain in his frontbench team.
He has to decide the fate of the 14 shadow ministers who defied a three-line whip ordering Labour MPs to vote with the Government on Wednesday night.
Mr Corbyn had previously said it would be "obviously impossible" for rebels to carry on in their jobs.
But the Labour leader's stance weakened earlier this week amid suggestions he would not be able to fill so many vacant posts.
Five shadow ministers - Clive Lewis, Rachael Maskell, Dawn Butler, Jo Stevens and Tulip Siddiq - have quit in the past fortnight so they could vote against beginning EU divorce talks.
Another 14 from Mr Corbyn's team also voted against the leader, including three Labour whips whose job is to enforce party discipline on Commons votes.
Asked whether frontbenchers who defied party orders could keep their jobs, Mr Corbyn told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend on Sunday: "You are asking me a very hypothetical question here. I will be making an announcement during the week. I am a very lenient person."
If he allows them to stay it will inevitably lead to renewed questions about the leader's authority just days after he was forced to deny he was standing down.
The resignation of three more members of his shadow cabinet this month forced Mr Corbyn's FOURTH reshuffle in 17 months as leader, and he has apparently struggled to find MPs willing to serve on his front bench.
His first shambolic reshuffle took 34 hours as a host of senior Labour figures reportedly refused to serve under him.
Corbyn's rebels: Labour shadow ministers who voted against triggering Article 50
Rosena Allin-Khan, Shadow Sports Minister
Kevin Brennan, Shadow Arts Minister
Lyn Brown, Shadow Policing Minister
Ruth Cadbury, Shadow Housing Minister
Thangam Debbonaire, Opposition whip
Vicky Foxcroft, Opposition whip
Rupa Huq, Shadow Crime Minister
Chi Onwurah, Shadow Industrial Strategy Minister
Stephen Pound, Shadow Northern Ireland Minister
Andy Slaughter, Shadow House Minister
Jeff Smith, Opposition whip
Catherine West, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister
Alan Whitehead, Shadow Energy Minister
Daniel Zeichner, Shadow Transport Minister
So 63 people have been appointed to Mr Corbyn's top team - already more than the 46 during Ed Miliband's five years in charge and the 42 in the five years when David Cameron was Opposition leader, .
A total of 32 shadow minister have resigned, including 20 who quit or were sacked in the chaotic failed coup last year.
Of those 32, four later returned to top positions.
In Mr Corbyn's latest moves last night, Rebecca Long-Bailey replaces Mr Lewis as shadow business secretary, with Peter Dowd replacing her as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Sue Hayman will replace Rachael Maskell in the Environment brief, and Christina Rees replaces Jo Stevens as shadow Welsh Secretary.
Ms Rees and Ms Hayman both nominated Owen Smith in his unsuccessful challenge to Mr Corbyn's leadership last year.
Mr Corbyn said: “I’m pleased to announce appointments to Labour’s shadow cabinet. We have a wealth of talent in our party and the strength of our shadow team will develop Labour’s alternative plan to rebuild and transform Britain, so that no one and no community is left behind.”
Labour said that more junior shadow ministerial roles would be filled "in due course".
A total of 52 Labour MPs voted against the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, joining sole Tory rebel Ken Clarke, Green MP Caroline Lucas, Lib Dems and the SNP.