Corbyn Clings On Defiantly As MPs Jump Ship

Jeremy Corbyn is defiant and says he will "not allow a coup", despite eight more shadow cabinet members leaving their posts.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: "We are not moving at all. We will not allow a coup in the back corridors in Parliament to succeed.

"If MPs want to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn, they will have to do so in a dramatic leadership contest."

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Corbyn said that the majority of people had voted to leave the EU, adding: "We have accepted what they have said."

He told MPs that the country is divided and would not thank either party for "indulging in internal factioning (and) manoeuvring at this time".

Just a few minutes earlier, Prime Minister David Cameron had responded to the swearing in of the new Labour MP for Tooting, Rosena Allin-Khan, by telling the House: "I think I’d advise her to keep her phone on – she might be in the shadow cabinet by the end of the day. And I thought I was having a bad day!"

Labour MPs will discuss a motion of no confidence in Mr Corbyn on Monday evening, before a secret ballot on the issue on Tuesday.

Shadow cabinet members Angela Eagle, Maria Eagle, Luciana Berger, John Healey, Lisa Nandy, Owen Smith, Nia Griffith and Kate Green resigned on Monday morning, following the loss of a dozen of their colleagues on Sunday.

Angela Eagle, shadow business secretary and first secretary of state, wrote to Mr Corbyn in her letter of resignation: "It is with great sadness that, after nine months of trying to make your leadership work and despite your considerable personal qualities, I have come to the conclusion you are not the right person to lead the party we both love."

Maria Eagle, shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport told Mr Corbyn, via letter, that he was not the "strong and effective leadership" that the country needed.

Shadow mental health minister Ms Berger said in her resignation that the party needed a leader "who can unite our party".

Mr Healey, shadow secretary of state for housing and planning, said Mr Corbyn was "clearly not prepared to accept the special responsibility" required to meet challenges such as the post-referendum "turmoil", a "likely autumn election", and the need to keep the party together.

Kate Green, shadow minister for women and equalities, also handed in her resignation, saying the country was facing "the most challenging political and constitutional situation any of us has ever lived through".

:: Live - Brexit Turmoil Engulfs Westminster

Minutes before that, Lisa Nandy, shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change; Owen Smith, shadow secretary for work and pensions and Nia Griffith, shadow secretary for Wales, announced their resignations.

In a joint statement, Ms Nandy and Mr Smith said: "Following the referendum result we believe we in Labour have a unique responsibility to show collective leadership to help bring the country through these difficult times.

"It has become increasingly apparent in the last 48 hours that this is not a realistic prospect in the current circumstances.

"It has become clear that he is unable to form a broad, inclusive shadow cabinet that draws on the best of our movement's left and right traditions."

They both called for Deputy Leader Tom Watson to take over as a "caretaker leader".

The latest moves follow Sunday's sacking of shadow foreign minister Hilary Benn, which prompted 11 shadow cabinet resignations during that day and a further dozen junior ministers and aides to depart this morning.

:: New Appointments

Responding to the resignations, Mr Corbyn announced a reshuffle on Monday morning.

Emily Thornberry is to be the new shadow foreign secretary, Diane Abbott will take the health portfolio and Pat Glass will be given responsibility for education.

Andy McDonald will take responsibility for transport, Clive Lewis for defence, Rebecca Long-Bailey will be shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.

There had been concerns that Mr Lewis, understood to be on his way back from Glastonbury, would not make it to London in time for his first Defence Questions but Ms Thornberry was asked to step in instead.

Shadow international development secretary will be Kate Osamor, environment food and rural affairs will go to Rachael Maskell, voter engagement and youth affairs will be the responsibility of Cat Smith and the new shadow Northern Ireland secretary will be Dave Anderson.

:: Jeremy Corbyn's Top Team As It Stands

:: Resignations On Monday

This morning, a number of shadow ministers resigned. They are:

:: Diana Johnson, shadow foreign minister
:: Jenny Chapman, shadow minister for education
:: Matthew Pennycook, shadow housing minister
:: Roberta Blackman-Woods, shadow minister for housing and planning
:: Anna Turley, shadow minister for civil society
:: Toby Perkins, shadow armed forces minister
:: Susan Elan Jones, shadow Wales Office minister
:: Alex Cunningham, shadow minister for the natural environment
:: Yvonne Forvargue, shadow minister for consumer affairs and science
:: Steve Reed, shadow local government minister
:: Wayne David, shadow minister for political reform and criminal justice in the shadow justice team and shadow Scotland Office minister
:: Nick Thomas-Symonds, shadow employment minister
:: Keir Starmer, shadow Home Office minister
:: Richard Burden, shadow transport minister
:: Sharon Hodgson, shadow children's minister
:: Jack Dromey, shadow policing minister
:: Melanie Onn, shadow deputy leader of the House

Sky's Political Correspondent Tamara Cohen, described the new shadow cabinet as "a very very new and quite inexperienced team...but they're determined to get on with it".

Commenting on the reshuffle, she said: "The question for Jeremy Corbyn now is: can he keep shuffling the pack when he's running out of cards?"

She added: "(Labour deputy leader) Tom Watson told (Mr Corbyn) he would be facing a brutal Labour leadership contest and will likely face a brutal general election."

Other resignations on Monday include:

:: Chris Matheson, parliamentary private secretary to the shadow justice team
:: Stephen Kinnock, parliamentary private secretary to Angela Eagle, the shadow first secretary of state and shadow secretary of state for business, innovation and skills
:: Karin Smyth, parliamentary private secretary to the shadow health secretary
:: Neil Coyle, parliamentary aide to the shadow leader of the Commons
:: Jess Phillips, parliamentary private secretary in the education team
:: Ruth Smeeth, parliamentary private secretary to the shadow Northern Ireland and Scotland teams
:: Gerald Jones, parliamentary private secretary to the shadow Wales team

The resignations of Ms Smeeth and Mr Jones mean that the entire Scotland and Wales teams have gone.

:: Sunday's Resignations

Sunday's resignations were shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander, shadow children's minister Gloria de Piero, shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray, shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood and shadow education secretary Lucy Powell.

Shadow environment secretary Kerry McCarthy, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Vernon Coaker, shadow Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer and Shadow Attorney General Karl Turner also quit.

Former shadow leader of the Commons Chris Bryant - the last to resign on Sunday - warned Mr Corbyn that he was in danger of going down in history as "the man who broke the Labour Party".

:: Corbyn Fights Back

Those rallying in support of Mr Corbyn include Unite leader Len McCluskey, Public and Commercial Services Union general secretary Mark Serwotka, train drivers' union Aslef's general secretary Mick Whelan, and Dave Ward of the Communication Workers Union.

Mr Corbyn now faces a vote of no confidence which will be discussed at the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party at Westminster, with a secret ballot of MPs expected the next day.