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| Labour reshuffle: Jeremy Corbyn sacks Michael Dugher | Labour reshuffle: Jeremy Corbyn sacks Michael Dugher |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Michael Dugher, the shadow culture secretary, has become the first casualty of Jeremy Corbyn’s reshuffle. | Michael Dugher, the shadow culture secretary, has become the first casualty of Jeremy Corbyn’s reshuffle. |
| In a tweet Dugher, who had warned the Labour leader against conducting a divisive reshuffle, said: | |
| The MP then tweeted again to say Corbyn had not liked some of his public interventions. | |
| Jeremy said he didn't like things I'd been writing (in defence of good colleagues & new politics). Well here it is https://t.co/prMdUislEe | |
| The link in the tweet is to a New Statesman article in which Dugher is thought to have coined the term “revenge reshuffle” to describe the shadow cabinet shake-up. | |
| Dugher had said in an interview at the weekend that Labour was a “broad church, not a religious cult” and said that he did not think Corbyn would proceed with the reshuffle because it would be inconsistent with his aim of having debate within the party. He also criticised Corbyn’s aides for speaking out against members of the shadow cabinet. | Dugher had said in an interview at the weekend that Labour was a “broad church, not a religious cult” and said that he did not think Corbyn would proceed with the reshuffle because it would be inconsistent with his aim of having debate within the party. He also criticised Corbyn’s aides for speaking out against members of the shadow cabinet. |
| Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said Dugher’s departure would be a loss to the shadow cabinet. Lucy Powell, the shadow education secretary, said: “Michael is a formidable campaigner who has provided an important and authentic voice to the shadow cabinet. Him going is a loss.” | |
| Andy Burnham, shadow home secretary, said his sacking would make it harder for Labour to win back traditional supporters in the north: “We face a big challenge in winning back the trust of our traditional supporters in the north and the Midlands and Michael is one of the authentic voices who can do that.” | |
| The Labour leader is expected to finish the reshuffle,, which was aimed at achieving greater harmony in his shadow cabinet, on Tuesday. | |
| Corbyn began the shake-up of his top team on Monday as he met Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, and Maria Eagle, the shadow defence secretary. | Corbyn began the shake-up of his top team on Monday as he met Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, and Maria Eagle, the shadow defence secretary. |
| He had wanted to shift Benn and Eagle from their jobs with the aim of asserting his authority over the divisive policy areas that have dogged his leadership. | He had wanted to shift Benn and Eagle from their jobs with the aim of asserting his authority over the divisive policy areas that have dogged his leadership. |
| But it now appears more likely that Benn will stay while Eagle could get another shadow cabinet brief. | But it now appears more likely that Benn will stay while Eagle could get another shadow cabinet brief. |
| Ken Livingstone, a key ally of Corbyn, who 24 hours ago suggested Benn should be moved to a brief like environment, said on Tuesday that he thought the leader had never intended to move his shadow foreign secretary, who has now stopped being so “dissident and critical”. | Ken Livingstone, a key ally of Corbyn, who 24 hours ago suggested Benn should be moved to a brief like environment, said on Tuesday that he thought the leader had never intended to move his shadow foreign secretary, who has now stopped being so “dissident and critical”. |
| Corbyn’s team remained tight-lipped on Monday night about the details of the reshuffle, which has caused alarm in the shadow cabinet amid reports that he was planning to exact revenge against Benn, Eagle and the other nine shadow cabinet members who voted in favour of airstrikes in Syria. | Corbyn’s team remained tight-lipped on Monday night about the details of the reshuffle, which has caused alarm in the shadow cabinet amid reports that he was planning to exact revenge against Benn, Eagle and the other nine shadow cabinet members who voted in favour of airstrikes in Syria. |
| Sources indicated the Labour leader wants to navigate a course between two competing pressures. On the one hand, he believes that Labour must have coherence on foreign and defence policy to avoid continual conflict with Benn, on military action, and with Eagle, on the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons programme. | Sources indicated the Labour leader wants to navigate a course between two competing pressures. On the one hand, he believes that Labour must have coherence on foreign and defence policy to avoid continual conflict with Benn, on military action, and with Eagle, on the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons programme. |
| Corbyn believes that the deep differences on foreign and defence policy in the shadow cabinet are overshadowing what he regards as unprecedented consensus on domestic and economic policy. | Corbyn believes that the deep differences on foreign and defence policy in the shadow cabinet are overshadowing what he regards as unprecedented consensus on domestic and economic policy. |
| But Corbyn wants to act with care to avoid a bloodbath, as he seeks to maintain what has been called his “big tent” approach to politics – which involved appointing only a handful of his own supporters to the shadow cabinet. | But Corbyn wants to act with care to avoid a bloodbath, as he seeks to maintain what has been called his “big tent” approach to politics – which involved appointing only a handful of his own supporters to the shadow cabinet. |