Alison McGovern: MP becomes fourth Labour Party member to resign over Jeremy Corbyn's reshuffle

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jeremy Corbyn has suffered a double blow after a fourth Labour MP resigned her post in protest over his reshuffle, and one of the party’s own whips criticised the sackings of “authentic, working-class voices” from the Shadow Cabinet. Alison McGovern, the chair of the Blairite campaign group Progress, has quit from her position running John McDonnell’s economic policy review into how to reduce child poverty and boost low incomes. If we aren’t careful, Labour will completely lose touch with the people we are supposed to represent.” Ms McGovern’s resignation from her policy role was prompted by claims from John McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor, that the three MPs who quit as ministers were a “right-wing clique” who did not represent the party and had coordinated their resignations to inflict maximum damage on Labour. “Members voted for Jeremy but they did not vote for John McDonnell to smear people who have devoted their lives to the party as ‘conservatives’ or the ‘hard right’.” However, Mr Corbyn’s aides insisted that he has emerged from the reshuffle in a stronger position, having removed his most ardent opponents on the Labour front bench and asserted his authority over Hilary Benn, the shadow Foreign Secretary.