U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, facing mass resignations over Brexit, names new shadow cabinet

British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is in trouble with his fellow Labour MPs

(Image credit: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 27 June 2016

A dozen Labour shadow ministers resigned on Sunday, and another half dozen have quit on Monday, in protest of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's firing of shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn, who told Corbyn he's lost confidence in his leadership. Labour officials also accuse Corbyn of only tepidly supporting the push to remain in the EU, and Labour MPs will likely hold a secret-ballot vote of no confidence in Corbyn on Tuesday. Labour is currently Britain's official opposition party.

Corbyn, who was elected last September and says he will run again for leader if the MPs oust him, named a new shadow cabinet on Monday. On Sunday's Andrew Marr Show, Benn called Corbyn "a good and decent man but he is not a leader." Shadow chancellor John McDonnell disagreed Monday, and you can watch his defense of Corbyn to the BBC's Andrew Neil below. Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.