Labour reshuffle begins: Jeremy Corbyn sacks Rosie Winterton as chief whip

Rosie Winterton has been sacked as Labour chief whip as Jeremy Corbyn flexes his muscles following his re-election and starts a shadow cabinet reshuffle. Party moderate Winterton was elected unopposed under Ed Miliband in 2010 and is a popular figure in Westminster.

She has been replaced by Nick Brown, the longstanding MP Newcastle upon Tyne East who served as a whip and secretary to the Treasury under Gordon Brown.

Winterton said it had been "an honour" to serve as Labour chief whip under three different leaders. "I would like to thank the whips and the Parliamentary Labour Party for the support they have given me. I wish Nick Brown every success in his new role," she said in a statement.

The move is the first of what is expected to be a reshuffle after Corbyn strengthened his position as party leader by defeating Owen Smith in a landslide victory, with 61% of the votes.

"I welcome Nick's agreement to serve as chief whip to the parliamentary Labour party," he said in a statement. "I would like to pay tribute to Rosie Winterton for her six years' exceptional service as Chief Whip. She has played an outstanding role in her support for me as leader and for the Labour Party as a whole."

Commenting on the promotion, Brown said: "Jeremy Corbyn has asked me to serve as chief whip to the parliamentary Labour party and I have accepted. I hope that I can bring experience and play a constructive role in providing the strongest possible opposition to this Tory Government."

Corbyn's victory in the leadership election was widely expected to trigger a reshuffle and Brown's appointment comes after a majority of Labour MPs said they were in favour of shadow cabinet elections.

A Labour spokesperson said Corbyn spent Thursday (6 October) "speaking to a number of colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party" as he begins the process of appointing a new front bench team.