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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Alexandra Topping and Kevin Rawlinson

Labour reshuffle: full shadow cabinet list announced – as it happened

Jonathan Ashworth is promoted to shadow health secretary
Jonathan Ashworth is promoted to shadow health secretary Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Corbyn names new shadow cabinet

The newly re-elected leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, has finished naming his shadow cabinet.

A hand was extended to the deputy leader Tom Watson, who was made shadow culture secretary - alongside his other job, to which he is elected - and there were new jobs for Keir Starmer and Shami Chakrabarti.

Slightly more than half of the shadow cabinet’s 30 positions are now filled by women and Corbyn stressed that he had appointed two women to shadow great offices of state; the other two shadow positions being taken by him and John McDonnell.

He also said the shadow cabinet was the most diverse yet seen.

But he faced some criticism over the way he went about the sacking of the former chief whip Rosie Winterton and the negotiations around elections of shadow cabinet members.

This live blog is closing now.

Jeremy Corbyn has used his post-victory reshuffle to assert his authority by wresting back control of Labour’s national executive committee and ensuring his closest allies retained the most senior shadow cabinet roles.

The Labour leader also reached out to his deputy, Tom Watson, with whom he has had a tense relationship throughout the summer, appointing him as shadow culture, media and sports secretary in addition to his existing position.

But, as the final team was announced, Corbyn faced an immediate backlash from his party’s MPs for disregarding any form of shadow cabinet elections, despite politicians voting overwhelmingly in favour of them last month as a means of offering people a dignified way back.

John Cryer, chair of the parliamentary Labour party, emailed colleagues to say that he had entered discussions in good faith and wanted to strike an agreement under which some positions would be elected.

“However, it became clear on Wednesday that a reshuffle was under way, which had not been discussed or mentioned,” he wrote in an email that has been leaked to the Guardian.

“It now seems to me that the party’s leadership did not engage in the talks in any constructive way.”

Responding, a Jeremy Corbyn spokesperson said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s team have held extensive talks with the chief whip and PLP chair about shadow cabinet elections, and are ready to continue those discussions with the new chief whip... Shadow cabinet elections will be considered by Labour’s national executive committee as part of a wider party democratisation at a special meeting next month”.

Read the full story.

A little reaction to the new appointments:

Updated

And, following the letter from the chair of the parliamentary Labour party John Cryer:

Some details and background on those shadow cabinet moves from my colleague Anushka Asthana:

Also just released, an accompanying statement from Jeremy Corbyn:

Following my re-election as Leader of the Labour party, I have made a number of new appointments to Labour’s shadow cabinet. For the first time, two of the three ‘great offices of state’ are shadowed by women. Once again, the shadow cabinet has a majority of women, and has more black and minority ethnic appointees than any shadow cabinet or cabinet ever.

I have acted to bring together a strong and diverse opposition leadership team. Our aim is to deliver what millions of people are demanding: a Labour party focussed on holding this divisive government to account and winning the next general election.

And one from Tom Watson:

I’m looking forward to working with Jeremy to develop Labour’s policy on introducing the arts pupil premium to every child of primary school age.

There should be no class ceiling placed on anyone who wants to contribute to or enjoy our artistic, musical and sporting heritage. I also want our globally successful games industry to be given the recognition it deserves.

Full shadow cabinet list revealed

Labour has just released its full shadow cabinet list, confirming Tom Watson’s move to shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

Shadow cabinet:

Leader of the opposition – Jeremy Corbyn

Shadow foreign secretary – Emily Thornberry

Shadow chancellor – John McDonnell

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury – Rebecca Long-Bailey

Shadow Brexit secretary – Keir Starmer

Shadow home secretary – Diane Abbott

Shadow business secretary – Clive Lewis

Shadow education secretary – Angela Rayner

Shadow secretary of state for international trade – Barry Gardiner

Shadow defence secretary – Nia Griffith

Shadow lord president of the council and national elections and campaigns co-ordinator – Jon Trickett

Shadow work and pensions secretary – Debbie Abrahams

Shadow health secretary – Jonathan Ashworth

Shadow international development secretary – Kate Osamor

Shadow transport secretary – Andy McDonald

Shadow communities and local government secretary – Teresa Pearce (standing in for Grahame Morris, who is on leave)

Shadow justice secretary – Richard Burgon

Shadow attorney general – Shami Chakrabarti

Shadow culture, media and sport secretary – Tom Watson

Shadow environment, good and rural affairs secretary – Rachael Maskell

Shadow Scotland and Northern Ireland secretary – Dave Anderson

Shadow Wales secretary – Jo Stevens

Shadow housing secretary – John Healey

Shadow women and equalities minister – Sarah Champion

Shadow minister for diverse communities – Dawn Butler

Shadow minister for voter engagement and youth affairs – Cat Smith

Shadow cabinet office minister – Ian Lavery

Shadow minister for mental health and social care – Barbara Keeley

Shadow minister without portfolio – Andrew Gwynne

Shadow leader of the House – Valerie Vaz

Labour’s Front Bench NEC members:

Leader of the Labour party – Jeremy Corbyn

Deputy leader of the Labour party – Tom Watson

Shadow cabinet – Rebecca Long-Bailey, Jon Trickett, Kate Osamor.

Updated

This is a punchy email to MPs from John Cryer, the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) chair, who had entered negotiations with Rosie Winterton, the now sacked chief whip, over proposals for shadow cabinet elections that Tom Watson had argued would allow MPs to come back with “dignity”.

Cryer is clear that there was no pressure to have a majority of positions elected, but is clearly angry about the outcome of talks, which he says have now fallen apart.

Here’s the full text of the letter:

Dear Colleague,

As you will be very much aware, at the beginning of September, the PLP voted overwhelmingly for the return of elections to the shadow cabinet.

This has never implied that the entire shadow cabinet should be elected; neither the PLP or the parliamentary committee were prescriptive in that regard.

This led to negotiations involving myself and the then chief whip, Rosie Winterton, and people from the leadership team.

As far as Rosie and I were concerned, the talks were held in good faith with the aim of striking an agreement which would allow some places to be filled through elections, while the leader would retain the right to appoint others.

We held a number of meetings, most recently during Labour conference, and were genuinely hopeful that we could get to an agreement which would have the chance of drawing the PLP together so that we could go forward in a more unified manner than has hitherto been the case. Rosie and I were keen to continue these negotiations this week and tried to arrange meetings with the leader’s office to come to an agreement as soon as possible.

However, it became clear on Wednesday that a reshuffle was underway, which had not been discussed or mentioned.

It now seems to me that the party’s leadership did not engage in the talks in any constructive way.

Obviously, I deeply regret this turn of events. As ever, if colleagues wish to raise any issues with me feel free to get in touch.

Best wishes,

John Cryer

Chair of the PLP

Strong rumour that Tom Watson could become shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

New shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth tweets:

Political editor Anushka Asthana tweets:

With John McDonnell expected to remain shadow chancellor and Emily Thornberry likely to retain the foreign affairs brief, the three most senior positions in the body are all held by staunch-Corbyn supporters - and London MPs.
The reshuffle saw little-known MPs moved around, including a promotion for Jo Stevens who was handed shadow Welsh secretary and Nia Griffith moved to the shadow defence brief, while Dawn Butler and Jonathan Reynolds were offered ministerial positions.

Dawn Butler
Dawn Butler, shadow minister for diverse communities Photograph: Richard Maude/PA

Ms Butler, shadow minister for diverse communities, denied that Mr Corbyn had failed to appoint the party’s more experienced MPs to top jobs because they had opposed him in the leadership election: “They might be obscure but they are competent,” she said of the new team.

Jo Stevens, shadow Welsh secretary
Jo Stevens, shadow Welsh secretary Photograph: Gus Campbell Photography/PA

Stevens also defended Corbyn’s appointments, insisting he had reached out to political opponents. “I didn’t support Jeremy in the leadership election, neither did Keir Starmer, neither did Nia Griffith and I don’t think Sarah Champion did either,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“I was one of the senior people in Owen Smith’s leadership campaign, and he’s [Corbyn] offered me a post on the shadow cabinet. Good leadership is about listening, influencing, persuading and an element of compromise.”

Tony Blair

Further to the hints given by Tony Blair about a possible return to frontline politics, one source familiar with the former prime minister’s plans said: “He is quite keen to try and organise some sort of institute - more than a thinktank but less than a political party - which would provide a platform for people with experience of government and business to to formulate policy and look at big solutions to big policy.”

Many senior Labour backbenchers at the party’s recent conference in Liverpoool talked about the need to develop policies that could be adopted by a more centrist future leader.

Blair is said to have been disappointed by the lack of radical thinking by rebel Labour MPs - and the failure of leadership challenger Owen Smith to take on Jeremy Corbyn’s philosophy. He wants to try to chart a path between “the ‘Ukipisation’ of the Conservatives and the ‘militantisation’ of Labour”, the source said.

Jeremy Corbyn has promoted Jonathan Ashworth to become his shadow health secretary but would like the Labour MP give up his place on the party’s national executive committee in return, the Guardian understands.

The Leicester politician, who is widely seen as an effective opponent to the Conservatives, will take on the health secretary Jeremy Hunt amid the long-running battle between his department and junior doctors over a new contract.

The health position was vacated after Corbyn moved Diane Abbott into the shadow home secretary role and sacked his chief whip, Rosie Winterton, in a post-conference reshuffle that some MPs have described as vengeful.

Maintaining Emily Thornberry as shadow foreign secretary, Corbyn said: “These appointments mean, for the first time ever, two out of the three traditional ‘great offices of state’ will be shadowed by women.”

Ashworth has remained loyal in public media appearances but is not seen as a supporter of the leadership team, which is why Corbyn would like him to quit the finely balanced NEC. The makeup of Labour’s controlling committee is seen as key, as it controls any changes that could affect how the party is made up.

Ashworth takes shadow health

Jon Ashworth, with fellow Labour MP Gloria De Piero, campaigning in Walsall, West Midlands.
Jon Ashworth, with fellow Labour MP Gloria De Piero, campaigning in Walsall, West Midlands. Photograph: Andrew Fox for the Observer

Jon Ashworth, the shadow cabinet office minister, has been appointed the new shadow health secretary, Labour sources said.

Time for me to bow out now, politics lovers. Further reshuffle news and politics developments will follow on the liveblog.

Remember, be nice to each other out there this weekend. As Mike Hookem might say: “No face-slapping, no digs, nothing.”

Roland Rudd
Roland Rudd Photograph: REX Shutterstock

The home secretary’s new stance on immigration has been sharply criticised by her own brother, who accused the government of “denigrating foreigners”.

Financial PR guru Roland Rudd said the public do not want an “intolerant Britain”, after Amber Rudd set out tough immigration proposals designed to bring down numbers in the wake of the Brexit vote.

They include plans to force UK businesses to publish the number of foreign workers they employ - a move that drew widespread criticism.

In a key speech delivered at the Tory Party conference this week, Ms Rudd said businesses and universities could face new restrictions on recruiting overseas workers and students.

Speaking about the new approach to immigration, Mr Rudd told BBC Radio 4:

I do not think people voted for an intolerant, closed Britain. I think denigrating foreigners is wrong, treating eastern Europeans as second-class citizens is shameful, and hate crime is appalling, and I hope it’s time that good people everywhere actually are counted and speak out.

Mending free movement of people doesn’t mean you end it and I think the language you use towards people who are different is incredibly important. We don’t want a society where we just only talk about what’s right for British workers as if people who’ve come from Europe who now live and work here are not part of society - they are. We need a big, bold move from this Government to immediately say now that every European that lives and works here can stay and live and work here.”

Rudd, who founded the Finsbury financial PR firm, added: “I think my sister is an amazingly talented wonderful woman, but we don’t have to share the same view on everything all the time. I don’t understand this attack on enterprise, on globalisation, in the way that we’ve heard it this week. I think we have to remember what’s best about Britain is its openness, its tolerance.”

Update from Anushka:

This most recent tweet from Jonathan Ashworth looks to confirm the move:

What’s that I hear you cry? Some news on the reshuffle front? Maybe, just maybe.

A Labour source suggests that Jonathan Ashworth has taken shadow health secretary.

Leading foreign academics acting as expert advisers to the UK government have been told they will not be asked to contribute to any government analysis and reports on Brexit because they are not British nationals.

“It is utterly baffling that the government is turning down expert, independent advice on Brexit simply because someone is from another country,” said Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrats’ EU spokesman. “This is yet more evidence of the Conservatives’ alarming embrace of petty chauvinism over rational policymaking.”

Sara Hagemann, an assistant professor at the London School of Economics who specialises in EU policymaking processes, EU treaty matters, the role of national parliaments and the consequences of EU enlargements, said she had been told her services would not be required. Hagemann tweeted on Thursday:

Asked to clarify whether she was responding to speeches at the Conservative party conference pledging tough new immigration controls, Hagemann said she had been informed “specifically” that she would not be contributing to any further government Brexit work.

It is understood a number of LSE academics specialising in EU affairs have been briefing the Foreign Office on Brexit issues, but the school has received an email informing it that submissions from non-UK citizens would no longer be accepted.

Amber Rudd faces backlash from businesses over foreign workersRead more

One of the group, who subsequently received notes from their departments telling them of the instruction, is understood to be a dual national, with citizenship of both the UK and another EU member state.

The Foreign Office was said to be concerned about the risk of sensitive material being exposed as article 50 negotiations over Britain’s exit from the EU, and subsequent talks on its future trade and other relations with the bloc, get under way.

But Steve Peers, a professor of EU law at the University of Essex who has advised the government on EU legal questions, said it should be “perfectly possible to get useful input from some of the best-qualified people in the country” without anything sensitive being revealed. “I don’t really get the security or sensitivity argument,” he said. “Whatever the reasons, this will come across as hostile, narrow and xenophobic.” He tweeted:


LSE said in statement that the UK government regularly called on its academics for advice, adding: “We believe our academics, including non-UK nationals, have hugely valuable expertise which will be vital in this time of uncertainty around the UK’s relationship with Europe and the rest of the world. Any changes to security measures are a matter for the UK government.”

So. Seems like we still have no further news on the shadow cabinet reshuffle. Because this is a serious blog for serious people, I thought we could pass the time by solving these anagrams. So politics fans, who are the politicians?

Bye, Northerly Rim!

Handyman Rub

Beer Ergo Goons

Karma Habit Chairs

Plan Mod Him Hip

Answers in a self-addressed tweet please.

Shares in Lloyds, which have plunged 23% since Britain voted to leave the European Union, were down more than 3% after the announcement.

In other non altercation news:

The Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced a new attempt to sell the Government’s remaining 3.6 billion stake in Lloyds Banking Group, but has abandoned a retail sale.

Hammond said heightened volatility in financial markets would see the Government’s 9.1% stake sold through a trading plan to institutional investors.

The move would ensure the Government recoups the entire 20.3 billion used to bail out the bank during the 2008 financial crisis, said Hammond.

This statement on the Treasury website:

Speaking in Washington, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond announced that the government will begin to sell its 9.1% stake in Lloyds via a trading plan, withdrawing the planned retail sale. Ongoing market volatility means it is not the right time for a retail offer.

The move is all part of the government’s commitment to returning the state-owned banks to the private sector and get taxpayers’ money back. The government has already raised around £16.9 billion for the taxpayer from previous Lloyds share sales.

A trading plan will ensure the government gets back all of the £20.3 billion that taxpayers injected into Lloyds during the financial crisis.

The decision follows advice from UK Financial Investments (UKFI) that selling shares through the trading plan represents good value for money for taxpayers. In their advice to the Chancellor UKFI said: “Putting in place a further trading plan represents the best opportunity to sell shares at a price which delivers value for money for the taxpayer.”

Offered without comment:

The Press Association is reporting that British expats should soon have the right to vote in parliamentary elections for their entire lives.

Currently there is a 15-year time limit on British citizens who live abroad registering as overseas electors. But the Government’s proposed changes would give all eligible British citizens who have lived in the UK a lifelong right to vote in parliamentary elections.

Minister for the Constitution Chris Skidmore said:

British citizens who move abroad remain a part of our democracy and it is important they have the ability to participate.

Following the British people’s decision to leave the EU, we now need to strengthen ties with countries around the world and show the UK is an outward-facing nation.

Our expat community has an important role to play in helping Britain expand international trade, especially given two-thirds of expats live outside the EU.

According to PA, Skidmore added that expats should retain the right to vote in British elections given many still have family here, while modern technology and cheaper air travel has made it easier for them to stay in touch with their home country.

Ukip MEP Jonathan Arnott told BBC Daily Politics that he believes Woolfe can no longer stand to be leader.

It must surely be obvious to anybody, having seen this, that Steven Woolfe - and of course Mike Hookem, although I don’t think Mike will put his hat into the ring - surely they can’t now consider that either of them could stand in a leadership contest.

Ukip tussle with Woolfe was 'handbags at dawn' - Hookem

Mike Hookem has used his first interview since the tussle that ended with his Ukip colleague Steven Woolfe in hospital to categorically deny throwing a punch at him.

The MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire told BBC Radio Humberside that the altercation was nothing more than a scuffle, with no meaningful blows dealt on either side.

There was no punches thrown, there was no face slap, there was no digs; there was nothing. It was what people in Hull term ‘handbags at dawn’ - a bit of a scuffle

According to Hookem, the pair were attending a meeting of Ukip MEPs called to discuss Woolfe’s mooted defection to the Tories. The row began as Woolfe tried to lay the blame for his being barred from the Ukip leadership election on the party’s NEC, Hookem said.

I then said, ‘no, I’m sorry, you were to blame – you never got your paperwork in. You had 20 days to do it, you never did it. You are to blame and you need to stop blaming the party and the NEC’. He then took exception to that. He then stood up, in front of everybody, and said across the room to me, ‘Well, if it’s that, then let’s take it outside of the room, mano a mano’. As he’s leaving the room he’s taking his jacket off to go outside.

Hookem says he followed Woolfe into a small anteroom, although they went in by different doors. “When I walked in, he approached me to attack me. He came at me, I defended myself,” Hookem said. During the altercation, which Hookem described as “still stood up but wrestling”, a door was opened by another Ukip MEP. At that point, Hookem said, he let go of Woolfe.

“I at that point was not holding him, I didn’t push him. He fell back into that room on to an MEP that was just inside that room,” Hookem said. He added:

He fell back into the room, some of the MEPs helped him up. He stood straight up. There was no indication of him hitting his head on metal windows or anything else. He fell back on to an MEP. Once he’d stood up he said, ‘All I’d wanted to do was to go outside to discuss it with you.’ But one of my other colleagues said, ‘No, I’m sorry Steven, you said let’s go out mano and mano, and was taking your jacket off at the same time.’ That MEP backed me up on what happened.

Hookem said he had been “shocked” to hear of Mr Woolfe’s collapse, but insisted he was not responsible.

Any injuries that Steven Woolfe had that caused whatever medical problems he’s got did not come from me, did not come from my hand. I did not injure him.

Hookem said he would be prepared to meet with Woolfe, after MEP Nathan Gill disclosed that had extended the “hand of friendship”. “I’ll shake Steven’s hand if he wants to shake hands,” he said.

But Hookem warned that if he was disciplined as a result of the party investigation, Woolfe would also have to face action.

I may be suspended. If they suspend me, they’ll have to suspend Steven Woolfe as well. I hope it doesn’t come to that. I will fight my corner.

Every party has politicians that fight their corner vigorously. You cannot go into a meeting with some of these people and be a wilting lily. These things happen, this went a step further than that.

Updated

Mike Hookem, the Ukip MEP accused of punching Steven Woolfe, has given his first interview since the news of the alleged fight to the BBC.

More details to come...

Midday Summary

  • Jeremy Corbyn is continuing his reshuffle of the shadow cabinet, putting Diane Abbott, Shami Chakrabarti, Clive Lewis, Jo Stevens, Keir Starmer, Jonathan Reynolds, Dawn Butler, Nick Brown, Nia Griffith and Sarah Champion in roles. (see 10.36)
  • Ukip MEPS Steven Woolfe and Mike Hookem may face fines and possible disciplinary action from the European Parliament, after president Martin Schulz launched an urgent investigation into the Ukip “incident”, saying that “disrespectful and violent behaviour” had no place in the parliament. (see 11.38)
  • Ukip have also launched an investigation into the incident (see 9.55)
  • Steven Woolfe, who will remain in hospital for 48 hours for as a precautionary measure, has reached out the “hand of friendship” to Hookem (see 10.21)
  • Ukip have won a Hartlepool council by-election with almost 50% of the vote on, while the SNP also took Glasgow City Council seat from Labour, and Labour held Bolton. (see 10.28)

My thanks to my colleague Harriet Sherwood, the Guardian’s religious correspondent, who has sent me this rather strongly-worded comment from the Board of Deputies of British Jews on the appointment of Shami Chakrabarti to shadow attorney general.

Calling the Charkabarti Report into antisemitism in the Labour Party a “whitewash”, it states that she has “sold out the Jewish community”.

Board of Deputies Vice President Marie van der Zyl has reacted with “disappointment” to the appointment “only months after she presided over the Charkabarti Report into antisemitism in the Labour Party”, said the statement:

We are disappointed, but sadly unsurprised, that once again Shami Chakrabarti and Jeremy Corbyn have spectacularly undermined her so-called ‘independent’ report.

We hoped her report would be a potent weapon in the fight against antisemitism.

It now looks increasingly like the whitewash was a job application.

She has sold out the Jewish community.

News from Europe, president of the European parliament Martin Schulz has launched an urgent investigation into the Ukip “incident”, saying that “disrespectful and violent behaviour” had no place in the parliament.

If the MEPs have been found to breach the parliament’s rules of conduct, they could be fined or even suspended.

Woolfe apparently has no plans to refer the incident to police.

In a statement Schulz said:

I would first of all like to wish a speedy recovery to Steven Woolfe, MEP, who is currently hospitalised. I also heartily thank the Parliament’s staff and medical service which provided the first aid as well as the French medical services which have subsequently been caring for him.

The reported facts are extremely serious. It goes without saying that disrespectful and violent behaviour does not have a place in the European Parliament. Moreover, indulging in this kind of conduct might result in a breach of Rule 11 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedures and of Article 1 of the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament.

As a consequence, and regardless of the possible judicial consequences that this incident may also have, I have decided today to refer this very regrettable matter to the Advisory Committee established by the Code of Conduct, and asked for it to be dealt with as a matter of urgency next week.

According to our team in the lobby Jonathan Ashworth, Labour and Co-operative party MP for Leicester South, is thought to be considering accepting the position of shadow health secretary in return for losing his seat on the national executive committee, which would tip the balance of Labour’s governing board back towards Corbyn.

Dan Hodges, political commentator at the Mail on Sunday has tweeted:

Away from the reshuffle and various Ukip shenanigans Conservative MP and former London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has been speaking this morning, and has confirmed that he will stand down as an MP if a third runway is built at Heathrow and urged the government not to make “a catastrophic decision”.

It is thought that the Government is set to back a third runway in the coming weeks, ending years of rowing about airport expansion.

Goldsmith, the MP for Richmond, has been one of the leading figures against Heathrow expansion.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said:

My position is the same as it was nine years ago.

I promised my constituents before I was ever elected in 2010 that I would trigger a by-election were the Government to give a green light to Heathrow expansion. My position has never changed.

I’m committed to my constituents, I’m committed to fighting this campaign and I’m committed to winning this campaign - and I have every confident that will happen.

There are huge question marks about whether a third runway could even be delivered, irrespective of the Government’s decision in the next week, two weeks, three weeks or so.

The legal risks are immense. You’ve got the councils under the flight path lining up with big cheque books waiting to challenge these proposals.

There are huge planning risks, there are financial risks.

Heathrow is massively over leveraged already, there is no prospect of their being able to raise the finance necessary to deliver this project without turning to the taxpayer.

Whatever the Government decides, this project is not going to happen. In five years’ time, 10 years’ time, we’ll still be arguing about it.

Quite a few readers have picked up on the scale of Ukip’s victory in Hartlepool with magnoliaboulevard noting:

Staggering, almost unbelievable result from Hartlepool (North East England Labour Party heartland for overseas readers unfamiliar with UK political geography:

Headland & Harbour (Hartlepool) Local council election result:

UKIP: 49.2% (+49.2)

BloodAndBandages has pointed out the win in Bolton:

Labour held Rumworth Ward Council by election yesterday in Bolton. Increased majority. Up 4.6%.

While Roger Higgins, has pointed out that the turnout in Hartlepool was low:

On a 17.9% turnout so not really the landslide you believe it implies.

Here is MEP Nathan Gill speaking outside the Strasbourg hospital about Steven Woolfe.

Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe ‘reached out hand of friendship’ to Mike Hookem

Updated

My colleague Nadia Khomami has just provided this up-to-date list of the Labour shadow cabinet as it stands:

IN

Shami Chakrabarti – promoted to shadow attorney general – ex-Liberty director

Jo Stevens – promoted to shadow welsh secretary – MP for Cardiff Central

Keir Starmer – promoted to shadow brexit secretary – MP for Holborn and St Pancras

Jonathan Reynolds – promoted to shadow economic secretary – MP for Stalybridge and Hyde

Dawn Butler – promoted to shadow minister for black and minority ethnic communities – MP for Brent Central

Nick Brown – promoted to opposition chief whip – MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East

Nia Griffith – promoted to shadow defence secretary – MP for Llanelli

Sarah Champion – promoted to shadow minister for women and equalities – MP for Rotherham

REMAINING

Dianne Abbot – promoted to shadow home secretary (was shadow health secretary) – MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington

Clive Lewis – shadow business secretary (removed from defence, replacing Jon Trickett) – MP for Norwich South

Emily Thornberry – shadow foreign secretary – MP for Islington South and Finsbury

Barry Gardiner – shadow international trade secretary & energy minister – MP for Brent north

John McDonnell – shadow chancellor – MP for Hayes and Harlington

Tom Watson – deputy leader – MP for West Bromwich East

Jon Trickett – shadow lord president of the council and national campaigns co-ordinator – MP for Hemsworth

Rachael Maskell – shadow environment secretary – MP for York Central

Rebecca Long-Bailey – shadow chief secretary to treasury – MP for Salford and Eccles

Cat Smith – shadow minister for voter engagement and youth affairs – MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood

Angela Smith – shadow leader of the house of lords

Richard Burgon – shadow justice secretary – MP for Leeds East

Kate Osamor – shadow secretary for international development – MP for Edmonton

Angela Rayner – shadow education secretary – MP for Ashton-under-Lyne

Lord Bassam – house of lords chief whip

Andy McDonald – shadow transport secretary – MP for Middlesborough

Grahame Morris – shadow secretary of state for communities and local government – MP for Easington

Kelvin Hopkins – shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport – MP for Luton North

Jonathan Ashworth – shadow minister without portfolio – MP for Leicester South

David Anderson – shadow secretary of state for northern ireland & Scotland – MP for Blaydon

Paul Flynn – shadow leader of the house (removed as shadow welsh secretary) – MP for Newport West

Debbie Abrahams – shadow work and pensions secretary – MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth

OUT

Dame Rosie Winterton – out as chief whip – MP for Doncaster Central

Meanwhile, away from the fray, Ukip’s leadership woes and troubles in Strasbourg appeared to have little impact at the ballot box. The party won a Hartlepool council by-election with almost 50% of the vote on Thursday. The SNP also took Glasgow City Council seat from Labour.

This from the Press Association:

Ukip took a council seat from Labour in the latest local by-elections despite its current leadership crisis and news of an altercation among its MEPs.

Meanwhile north of the border, the SNP continued its advances in former Labour strongholds by gaining a Glasgow City Council seat from the party.

The Ukip victory came at Hartlepool in a contest in the Headland & Harbour ward following the resignation of a Labour councillor.

Voting was: Ukip 496, Lab 255, Putting Hartlepool First 155, C 41, Patients Not Profit 36, Ind 26.

The turnout was low at 17.8%. Ukip had not contested the seat in the previous election in 2014.

The SNP gain was in Glasgow’s Garscadden/Scotstounhill ward in a by-election following the death of a Labour councillor.

First-preference voting was: SNP 2,135, Lab 1,944, C 510, Green 242, LD 97, Ukip 83. Turnout was 23.8%.

In other contests, Labour rebuffed challenges from Plaid Cymru to hold two seats at Caerphilly, in the Gilfach and Risca East divisions. Labour also overwhelmingly held a seat at Bolton (Rumworth ward).

Conservatives held a seat at East Devon (Exmouth Brixington).

:: Results due later from by-elections at: Highland Council (Culloden & Ardersier) following the death of a Labour councillor; and Basingstoke & Deane (Basing) following the resignation of a Conservative councillor.

Gill said Woolfe has been moved to the neurological department “as a precautionary measure”, and will remain in the hospital for 48 hours.

“Now Steven has this morning reached out the hand of friendship to Mr Hookem, to Mike, and has realised that things did go too far in the MEP meeting.”

The “hand of friendship” had was offered in an email, he said. He did not comment on whether Hookem had gripped said hand.

Gill insisted there was no danger to Woolfe’s health “even though it was at one stage touch and go”. He would not give any details of what actually happened in The Meeting. Asked if Ukip could recover from this most recent crisis, he said the party has “teflon” qualities.

As an (important) aside, apparently Woolfe hates flaky, buttery wonderful breakfast pastries and prefers good old British grease. Natch.

Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe ‘reached out hand of friendship’ to Mike Hookem

MEP Nathan Gill has just given a live statement in Strasbourg, saying Steven Woolfe has “reached out the hand of friendship” to Mike Hookem after their altercation and “has realised that things did go too far”.

Updated

Attempts at damage control have been put into action today, with both Ukip party chairman Paul Oakden and acting leader Nigel Farage promising a investigation into the bust up.

In a statement, Nigel Farage -promised “the truth will be discovered”:

All other claims being made in the media by representatives of Ukip who were not even there at the time are extremely unhelpful.

Oakden insisted that they would recover from the incident:

We are a functioning party of tens of thousands of members. This is two members who had an incident, an altercation. We will deal with it in due course and with appropriate action once we know the facts.

He told BBC Breakfast it could difficult to establish the truth.

I have spoken to people who were there and everything I am being told at the moment would suggest that there were no witnesses. That is going to present a problem,” he told BBC Breakfast.

I hope that we don’t end up in a situation where we just have two members here disagreeing on the facts but with nobody else able to corroborate either.

What I am hopeful of is that we have two members who accept that something happened yesterday that was unfortunate, regrettable, and they, as we all do, will want to move on from it and focus on electing our new leader.

Lisa Duffy, who was runner-up in the last leadership contest, said the incident raised questions as to Woolfe’s suitability to become leader following the resignation on Wednesday of Diane James:.

She told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

I have been talking to a lot of members over the last few hours. They are embarrassed about what’s happening to the party,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Do we want a leader who will get himself involved in an altercation or do we want a leader who is going to be rational and reflect and deal with things in an appropriate manner?

Violence or any kind of offering to go outside is not the way to deal with problems.

Duffy said she had spoken to Hookem, who categorically denied throwing any punches. He told her that the incident was sparked by a row over comments by Mr Woolfe admitting that he had considered defecting to the Tories.

Steven then said ‘Let’s take this outside’ and started taking his jacket off. Mike then said there was a small scuffle but absolutely no punches were thrown.

He said then a door opened and Steven fell backwards, which is when he then hit his head. But he is categorically stating that he never threw a punch at Steven.

London Assembly member Peter Whittle admitted it had been “a rocky week” for the party.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain it was “an altercation that got out of hand” and there would be a full investigation:

Obviously it’s not the way to carry on and it’s not the way to behave.

The fact is we are in a very, very strong position. We are up in the polls and we are basically making the whole political agenda at the moment.

Anyone who looked at the Tory Party conference this week will see all our ideas are being discussed, all of them are being taken on board by the Government.

The fact is we are here to stay as a party, there’s no question about it.

John Prescott, when he punched a member of the public, nobody started drawing conclusions about Labour as a whole.

You shouldn’t draw conclusions about Ukip as a whole from this.

People care, obviously, about who’s leading Ukip, because they realise Ukip sets the whole political agenda in Britain at the moment.

Of course this is wrong, we’ll get to the bottom of it, but if I had a dollar for every time Ukip had been written off, I’d be a very rich man.

So, all considered, it’s not been a sterling couple of days for Ukip. And the argy bargy continues.

Major donor Arron Banks threatened to leave the party, calling Neil Hamilton an “odious toad” for comments he made after Woolfe injured. Hamilton, speaking on BBC news this morning has said Banks has sent him and his wife personal abuse and is bringing the party into disrepute.

He threatened to leave Ukip if Hamilton and Douglas Carswell are allowed to stay in the party and if the party’s national executive committee rules Woolfe cannot run for leader.

Banks said he was “utterly disgusted” by Hamilton’s comments and revealed that he was considering leaving the party.

In a statement, Banks said:

Firstly, I was shocked at the events that unfolded today - it goes without saying that I wish Steven best wishes and hope he recovers soon.

I am however utterly disgusted to see Neil Hamilton touring the newsrooms this afternoon, spewing his bile before anyone knew if Steven was going to be ok.

He truly is a creature from the gutter who will do anything to get his mug on our screens.

Tonight I am calling for the immediate suspension of the NEC. Elections need to be held for both a new leader of the party as well as the NEC.

People say that Ukip is split down the middle between two camps. This is incorrect.

The Tory troublemakers and fifth columnists represent a small minority in our party, yet they use any opportunity they can do undermine those working tirelessly to hold the governments feet to the flames. This ends today.

If Neil Hamilton and Douglas Carswell remain in the party, and the NEC decide that Steven Woolfe can not run for leader, I will be leaving Ukip.

People have worked too long and too hard to get Ukip to where it is today, but it is clear that we ourselves, are at breaking point.

So what of the other major politics story of the day? What really happened after that heated meeting between Ukip MEPs, which has left leadership contender Steven Woolfe recovering in a hospital bed?

Here’s what the main protagonists have said happened:

•Steven Woolfe has said he was attacked by Ukip MEP Mike Hookem, the party’s defence spokesman, who served in the RAF and Royal Engineers. He said the meeting had become heated and he had asked Hookem to continue to deal with the matter outside the room which the Ukip MEP read “totally the wrong way”. He said Hookem then hit him and he bashed himself on the door frame.

He told the Daily Mail:

Mike was obviously very angry and lost his temper.

I wasn’t bruising for a scrap. I asked to deal with the matter outside of the room because it was flaring up in the meeting and upsetting everybody, and Mike clearly read that totally the wrong way. It was a completely unexpected incident.

Mike came at me and landed a blow. The door frame took the biggest hit after I was shoved into it and I knew I’d taken a whack and was pretty shaken.

•Mike Hookem reportedly told the Mail that he hadn’t hit Woolfe, and didn’t see him hit is head, while a spokeswoman insisted it had been a ‘verbal altercation’ and denied that Hookem had punched Woolfe. ‘Mike did not touch him,’ she said.

I did not hit Steven and I did not see him hit his head.

•Neil Hamilton, Ukip’s leader in the Welsh assembly, said he had been told by colleagues in the European parliament that Woolfe had “picked a fight with one of them and came off worse”.

Hamilton told the BBC:

He toppled over and hit his head on a glass window so it must have been quite a wallop

•A source close to the party put it this way:

Steven Woolfe has then taken his jacket off, walked over and said: ‘Right you, outside now’ or words to that effect.

They went outside and Steven Woolfe got the brunt of it.

So that’s clear then. If anyone does have some video footage, do let us know.

Here’s a little recap of my colleague Rajeev Syal’s Tony Blair story this morning:

Blair has hinted at a return to frontline politics, as he suggested Britain risks becoming a “one-party state”.

The former Labour prime minister said it was “a tragedy” that the two choices facing the electorate were the Tories pursuing a hard Brexit and “an ultra-left Labour Party” which has “a set of policies that takes us back to the Sixties”.

Mr Blair recently announced that he would be significantly scaling back his business empire in order to focus on charity work.

And, in an interview with Esquire magazine, he refused to rule out a return to politics.

Mr Blair said: “It’s a tragedy for British politics if the choice before the country is a Conservative government going for a hard Brexit and an ultra-left Labour Party, that believes in a set of policies that takes us back to the Sixties.

“In the UK at the moment you’ve got a one-party state.

“When you put it all together (taking into account that the Conservative leader wasn’t elected), there’s something seriously wrong.

“I don’t know if there’s a role for me ... There’s a limit to what I want to say about my own position at this moment.

“All I can say is that this is where politics is at. Do I feel strongly about it? Yes, I do. Am I very motivated by that? Yes.

“Where do I go from here? What exactly do I do? That’s an open question.”

New shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens has been defending Mr Corbyn’s appointments, on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, saying he had reached out to political opponents.

I didn’t support Jeremy in the leadership election, neither did Keir Starmer, neither did Nia Griffith and I don’t think Sarah Champion did either.

He has made appointments to his shadow cabinet from the opposing part of the leadership campaign.

I was one of the senior people in Owen Smith’s leadership campaign, and he’s offered me a post on the shadow cabinet.

Good leadership is about listening, influencing, persuading and an element of compromise.

Jeremy has admitted he’s made mistakes and he will try and do things differently. I think we ought to give him that opportunity.

Stevens, who supported Owen Smith during the leadership contest, also suggested Corbyn wouldn’t use reshuffle to try change trident position. She said the decision had been made on Trident and she did not expect it to be revisited.

She and Mr Corbyn both voted against renewing Trident, although the Labour Party policy is to renew the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

Former shadow defence secretary Clive Lewis, who backs renewing Trident, has been moved to business, energy and industrial strategy.

Updated

My colleague Heather Stewart has been talking to MPs about their thoughts following the shadow cabinet reshuffle. She sends this:

Labour MPs are privately expressing concern about Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet reshuffle, claiming it doesn’t represent the “olive branch” he pledged to offer rebel backbenchers in the wake of the bitter leadership battle.

The sacking of Labour’s chief whip Rosie Winterton, who had been pursuing talks about electing some members of the shadow cabinet in a bid to bring refuseniks back on board, was greeted with dismay among moderate MPs. There was also disquiet about Corbyn’s promotion of his close political ally Diane Abbott.

One senior Labour MP said, “rather than balance and equilibrium, they’ve gone for control, and a straight power grab”. Another MP who had been expected to return to the front bench, warned that the appointments so far make Labour look too London-centric, with Corbyn, his shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, home Secretary Diane Abbott and chancellor John McDonnell, all representing constituencies in the capital. “It’s looking a bit like a government of north London, for north London, by North London”, he said.

However, Corbyn’s team stressed the number of MPs from northern seats in other roles - and pointed out that more appointments are expected to come today. John Mann, the MP for Bassetlaw, is tipped for a return; and Leicester MP Jon Ashworth, is thought to be considering accepting a more senior role.

Here’s what we know so far on the Labour shadow cabinet, we will update as more news comes in:

Diane Abbott, shadow home secretary

Jeremy Corbyn gave a top job to Diane Abbott in shadow cabinet reshuffle, replacing Andy Burnham. Abbott has been one of Corbyn’s closest supporters, and this is the third shadow cabinet post that she has held since he took over as leader a year ago.

Shami Chakrabarti, shadow attorney general

Chakrabarti, the 47-year-old former director of the human rights organisation Liberty, takes up the role of shadow attorney general just five months after becoming a member of the Labour Party.

Nominated by Corbyn for a peerage in August, Chakrabarti’s promotion may be controversial in some areas as some critics of the Labour leader branded her inquiry into anti-semitism in the party a “whitewash”.

Nick Brown, chief whip

Nick Brown is not new to the role of chief whip. He first held the post in 1997-98 under Tony Blair, before becoming a key “fixer” for Gordon Brown and playing a role in the ousting of Blair.

He replaces Dame Rosie Winterton, who became a popular chief whip, holding the job for six years under three different leaders.

Keir Starmer, shadow Brexit secretary

The former director of public prosecutions is one of the new intake of MPs to be handed jobs in Corbyn’s cabinet, taking the role of shadow Brexit secretary.

He backed remain during the EU referendum campaign and his appointment as Brexit secretary indicates that Labour will seek to strongly oppose Britain leaving the EU, after criticism that Corbyn was half-hearted in his campaigning on the issue.

Clive Lewis, spokesman for business, energy and industrial strategy

Another of 2015’s intake, Lewis is moving from defence to shadow spokesman for business, energy and industrial strategy. He replaces Jon Trickett.

The shift follows a high-profile row over Trident at Labour conference, where he announced that Labour would not be ditching its support, despite Corbyn’s longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons.

Sarah Champion, shadow minister for women and equalities

The Rotherham MP, who resigned from Corbyn’s front bench in the referendum’s aftermath but returned within weeks, becomes shadow minister for women and equalities. Since her return to Corbyn’s team in July she had served as shadow minister for preventing abuse and domestic violence, but she made headlines during conference when it emerged that she had been arrested following a row with her husband.

Jo Stevens, shadow welsh secretary

Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens becomes shadow Wales secretary, having formerly held a justice brief. Stevens did not to resign from Corbyn’s front bench in July, but did back Owen Smith in the recent leadership contest.

Nia Griffith, shadow defence secretary

The former shadow Welsh secretary takes on the defence brief. Griffith was among the shadow cabinet members to resign in June and backed Owen Smith’s leadership bid, although she returned to the shadow cabinet in September. Griffith has been tipped as a potential candidate for the defence post since January, thanks to her opposition to Trident.

Good morning! With heavy heart I have to tell you that the inimitable Andrew Sparrow will not be at the helm of the liveblog today, he has a well-earned day off. But as ever we’ll be here, keeping you up to date with the major developments of the day.

We’ll get more Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle news and reaction, as well as taking a look at the fallout from yesterday’s Ukip fisticuffs.

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