Jeremy Corbyn’s office ‘working against rest of party’ in referendum campaign

Former home secretary Alan Johnson, who ran Labour’s campaign for a Remain vote in the referendum, claimed the leader’s office had “conflicting objectives” to the rest of the party.

His comments came after another wave of shadow cabinet ministers quit in protest at his leadership and it appeared inevitable he would face a challenge to his position.

Luciana Berger quit her shadow cabinet-level role as mental health minister saying “loyalty to the party must come first”, becoming the eighth member of Mr Corbyn’s top team to resign on Monday.

The full-blown coup aimed at ousting Mr Corbyn follows the dramatic events in the wake of the Brexit vote, with Labour MPs fearing an early election against David Cameron’s successor.

Despite Mr Corbyn’s insistence that he was firmly behind the Remain cause, he has a history of Euroscepticism and the party’s MPs have publicly questioned his commitment on the issue.

In an email to colleagues as Parliament returned following the vote for Brexit, Mr Johnson said: “Everyone else needs to make their own assessment as to whether more could have been done to prevent this disastrous result. I will certainly do this, as I hope will the leader’s office.

“At times it felt as if they were working against the rest of the party and had conflicting objectives.

“I was proud to work with some great people who tried their very best to get the result we all wanted. Nobody in the leadership had the right to undermine their efforts.”

Angela Eagle, who as shadow first secretary of state deputised for Mr Corbyn at Prime Minister’s Questions, became the most senior member of his team to quit, saying “we need a leader who can unite rather than divide the Labour Party”.

She said Mr Corbyn needed to think about whether he should stay as Labour leader.

Looking downcast, Ms Eagle told reporters outside Parliament: “I’ve made it clear that I don’t think it’s working, and Jeremy needs to think about his position.”

Her twin sister Maria also resigned from her post as shadow culture secretary, while John Healey, Lisa Nandy, Owen Smith, Nia Griffith and Kate Green also quit – adding to the 12 shadow cabinet members Mr Corbyn lost on Sunday.

The party’s leader in the Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, and chief whip Lord Bassam are set to boycott shadow cabinet meetings while Mr Corbyn remains in place, but will not resign because they are elected by their colleagues in the upper chamber.

In a joint statement Ms Nandy and Mr Smith told Mr Corbyn that a leadership contest was “inevitable” and called for deputy leader Tom Watson to take temporary charge of the party.

They said: “The lack of confidence in the leadership goes beyond the small group of MPs who have consistently opposed Jeremy since his election.

“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.

“For that reason we have told Jeremy that whilst the party holds a leadership contest – which is now inevitable – we believe Tom Watson ought to take over as a caretaker leader to stabilise the party and to enable us to play a full part as the official opposition in one of the most difficult periods this country has ever faced.”

In total, 20 of the 30 people other than Mr Corbyn who attended the shadow cabinet before the weekend have gone – with Hilary Benn sacked and the rest resigning – while the two peers will refuse to take part.

A series of junior shadow ministers and aides also resigned as pressure mounted on Mr Corbyn to quit.

Mr Corbyn responded by appointing loyal MPs to key positions in an effort to shore up his position but the second wave of departures from his frontbench team underlined the scale of the challenge he faces.

The Labour leader held crisis talks with Mr Watson in Westminster where he was left in no doubt that he would face a challenge to his position.

The Labour leader’s office made clear that he would fight any contest and insisted he would automatically be on the ballot, without requiring the nominations of MPs.

He also received fresh indications of support from union chiefs.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The Tories are divided, but at this crucial time, Labour should not be. As we appear to be moving towards an early general election, our members need strong and united leadership from the Labour Party.

“If MPs choose not to serve in the shadow cabinet, the Labour leader has a right to seek to form a shadow cabinet and lead our party as long as he has the support of Party members.”

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said he was “appalled” at the actions of the party’s MPs.

He said the party needed to unite in its response to the European Union referendum result.

In a message to Mr Corbyn he said: “I am appalled that instead of helping with this, some self-indulgent Labour MPs are looking inward, and turning on you and the party members and supporters who elected you in a landslide last September.

“I believe you are the best person to lead the Labour party through what is undoubtedly going to be a difficult period and you have my full support.”

Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “Jeremy should be allowed to do the job we elected him to do until it is achieved.”

Mr Corbyn filled the shadow cabinet seats vacated by the MPs who deserted him on Sunday with allies, including a number of MPs from the 2015 intake.

In one of the biggest moves, former shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry will replace Mr Benn, who was sacked as shadow foreign secretary in the early hours of Sunday morning.

And Diane Abbott replaces Heidi Alexander, who quit as shadow health secretary – one of the 11 shadow cabinet ministers who resigned in protest.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2016, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Rick Findler / PA Wire.