MP Michael Dugher sacked - while colleague John Healey puts the kettle on

Mr Dugher, the Barnsley East MP whose patch includes Darfield and Wombwell, was the first casualty of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn original shadow cabinet when he was sacked as shadow culture secretary on Tuesday.

He told BBC News he had been dumped for speaking up for colleagues who had been “trashed” by members of the Labour leader's team.

Mr Dugher, who ran Andy Burnham’s campaign for leadership in the summer, said: “I decided to speak out a number of days ago because what we've seen in recent weeks is a number of good hardworking loyal members of the shadow cabinet being systematically trashed, in terms of their reputations, in their newspapers by people in the employment of Jeremy Corbyn.

“It was de-stabilising and I felt it was right to speak out about that and I appear to have paid the price for that. But I don't regret it for one second.”

Mr Dugher wrote in the News Statesman last week that newspaper talk of a

“revenge reshuffle” was distracting attention away from Labour MPs’ attacks on the Conservative Government’s policies.

The ousted MP said this week that the front bench reshuffle had hindered the prospect of the “new politics” promised by Mr Corbyn, whose promises that “room for a little dissent” had proved unreliable.

Meanwhile, reporters waiting for news on the Westminster shake-up had kind words for Wentworth and Dearne MP and shadow housing and planning minister.

Sky News Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig tweeted: “Ex-journalist John Healey, a true gentleman, has offered reporters awaiting Lab reshuffle news use of kettle in his office. 2nd time today.”