Emily Thornberry replaces Maria Eagle as defence secretary, as Eagle moves to culture role in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle: Who’s in and who’s out?
After over 30 hours of deliberations, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn finalised what the Conservatives dubbed the longest reshuffle in history, appointing Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South & Finsbury, as the new Labour shadow defence secretary.
The move put an end to days of speculation that Maria Eagle would be removed from the role. Eagle, MP for Garston and Halewood, has been appointed shadow culture, replacing Michael Dugher, who was sacked yesterday.
The move substitutes in Thornberry, who, like Corbyn, is against Trident renewal, for Eagle, who stands in favour of renewing the nuclear capabilities.
Pat McFadden, Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East, has also been sacked as shadow Europe minister, to be replaced by Pat Glass, MP for North West Durham. According to sources cited by the New Statesman, McFadden was sacked for "disloyalty" to Jeremy Corbyn.
Ian Austin, Labour MP for Dudley, slammed the decision to remove McFadden from the front bench on Twitter last night:
Sacking @patmcfaddenmp is vindictive and stupid. A serious, credible & popular shadow minister, respected & liked on all sides of PLP.
— Ian Austin (@LordIanAustin) January 5, 2016
Meanwhile, Emma Lewell Buck, MP for South Shields, has been named the new shadow minister for devolution and local government.
Read more: Here's what we know about Jeremy Corbyn's Labour shadow cabinet
Dugher announced yesterday that he was sacked by Corbyn, adding that he wished the Labour leader "a happy new year". But that didn't go down all too well, with a chorus of Labour MPs sounding their regret at the loss of Dugher to the shadow cabinet.
And shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn has kept his job, but under the proviso that he will agree with his boss in public.