Sir Keir Starmer has launched a reshuffle of MPs on Labour’s frontbench, his spokesperson has confirmed.
His deputy Angela Rayner is claiming, through her spokesperson, that Sir Keir began a shake-up of the shadow cabinet without consulting her.
It comes as frontbencher Cat Smith announced her resignation after taking a call from Sir Keir regarding his reshuffle plans this morning.
The MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, shadow minister for democracy, said Sir Keir had invited her to carry on in her role but that she decided to step down to focus on her constituency.
In her resignation letter, she warned Sir Keir that the ongoing exclusion of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is causing “damage” to ordinary members.
Mr Corbyn, the socialist MP for Islington North, who was succeeded by Sir Keir as leader last year, had the whip withdrawn by his successor amid a row over anti-semitism allegations within the party.
