JEREMY Corbyn’s reshuffle to purge key figures from Labour’s frontbench who oppose him on such issues as Trident and bombing Islamic State terrorists has begun but has already been branded a "total disaster" by one senior figure.
A key focal point is Hilary Benn, who is said to be strongly resisting a demotion from his foreign affairs brief.
One senior insider commented: "This is a total disaster," and said about the shadow foreign secretary that it was a case of a Corbyn "climbdown or carnage".
Meetings at the party leader’s Westminster office as well as a string of phonecalls were continuing late into the night with the possibility of a new line-up in time for Tuesday morning’s shadow cabinet meeting; the first of 2016.
Mr Benn’s position was thought to be under serious threat after he made an impassioned Commons speech backing the extension of UK air strikes to Syria while the support from Maria Eagle, the shadow defence secretary, for renewing the nuclear deterrent has also infuriated those close to Mr Corbyn.
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; although he insisted he did not know whether this was what the leader was planning.
Meantime, Diane Abbott, the shadow international development secretary, denied she was being lined up to replace Mr Benn, branding the rumours "poppycock and piffle".
Speculation has been mounting that Ms Eagle could take over the culture brief from Brownite Michael Dugher.
The shadow culture secretary, who also voted for the airstrikes, warned any purge of shadow cabinet critics would leave Labour leader with a “politburo of seven”.
Others who could face the chop are Blairites Lord Falconer, the shadow justice secretary, and Pat McFadden, the shadow Europe minister.
Mr McFadden pointed out how Mr Corbyn's "whole career" had been based on disagreeing with party leaders and warned him against carrying out a reshuffle "as a punishment for shadow ministers, who disagree with him".
One figure, however, who looks certain to stay is Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish secretary, given he is Labour’s only MP in Scotland. Happily, the Edinburgh MP agrees with Mr Corbyn on scrapping Trident.
After a festive period filled with speculation about pending changes to the shadow cabinet, reporters gathered outside the Labour leader’s Westminster office for news.
A somewhat annoyed Mr Corbyn emerged to tell the waiting journalists: "Excuse me guys, do you mind not hanging around outside my office door? Could you all leave, please?"
Later, the mood was lightened when one aide appeared with bars of chocolates for the waiting press.
Seema Malhotra, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, left Mr Corbyn’s office but said nothing while her colleague Barry Gardiner, a shadow environment minister, declined to say whether he had been offered a new job.
“A lot of people come in and out of his office with a smile on their face. I don’t think I’ll be the only one today. You shouldn’t read too much in to that. I’ve probably said enough,” noted the London MP.
Earlier, Mr Livingstone, who is co-chairing Labour’s review into defence policy with Ms Eagle, denied Labour was in the midst of a civil war, saying: "What Jeremy has to do is put together the team in the way he wants it and then refocus this debate about the economy.”
Elsewhere, Clive Lewis, a shadow energy minister, stressed that it was Mr Corbyn's "prerogative as leader to be able to manage and shape the shadow cabinet" without it being seen as revenge.
He said that as a new MP elected only last year, he would only accept a major job such as shadow defence secretary if Mr Corbyn said it was "essential".
But John McTernan, a former aide to Tony Blair, branded the idea of newly-elected MPs walking into senior shadow cabinet roles a “joke” and said what Mr Corbyn needed were “grown-ups” to help run the Opposition.
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