Shadow local government minister Steve Reed is among the latest to resign from Jeremy Corbyn’s top team after an exodus over the weekend.
The Croydon North MP and former leader of Lambeth Council warned the Labour Party leader of ‘electoral annihilation’ if he refuses to go.
In a letter this morning he said he no longer believed Labour could win a general election while Mr Corbyn remained leader.
Mr Reed joins a growing mutiny of Labour MPs turning against Mr Corbyn’s leadership following what many see as his lacklustre performance in the campaign to remain in the European Union.
In his letter, Mr Reed wrote: ‘A majority of Labour supporters in large parts of the north and midlands voted to leave the EU because their connection with our party has broken. We are losing touch with them, a process that has been under way for some time but has speeded up under your leadership.'
Mr Corbyn has unveiled his new shadow cabinet this morning including Diane Abbott as shadow health secretary and Pat Glass as shadow education secretary.
He said: 'I regret there have been resignations today from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me – or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them.
'Those who want to change Labour’s leadership will have to stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate.'
