Labour MP calls Corbyn a misogynist

But Corbyn wants to act with care to avoid a bloodbath, as he seeks to maintain what has been called his “big tent” approach to politics – which involved appointing only a handful of his own supporters to the shadow cabinet.

Seema Malhotra, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, left Mr Corbyn’s office but said nothing while her colleague Barry Gardiner, a shadow environment minister, declined to say whether he had been offered a new job.

“No one has spoken to me about a promotion to the shadow cabinet”, he said.

The Labour leader’s caution means that he has approached the reshuffle with a range of options on how to achieve greater coherence in the sensitive areas of foreign and defence policy.

“Labour candidates are being let down every single day the party has an introspective, naval gazing debate about the faces around theshadow shadow table”.

Corbyn ally Ken Livingstone moaned: “All we had was days of press coverage about splits between Jeremy Corbyn and Hilary Benn“.

Key announcements are due on Tuesday with attention focussing on the fate of Hilary Benn, the shadow Foreign Secretary; Maria Eagle, the shadow Defence Secretary; and Michael Dugher, the shadow Culture Secretary.

Mr Burnham, who came second in the Labour leadership race last summer, voted alongside Mr Corbyn in opposing the bombing.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow energy secretary, was on Monday tipped to take Ms Eagle’s role as shadow defence secretary while Emily Thornberry, a shadow work and pensions minister, was tipped for the justice role. The said she could be replaced by left-wing MP Mr Lewis.

Asked about the state of the party on Pienaar’s Politics, he said: “It keeps me awake at night”.

‘I haven’t been spoken to by anyone so I think it’s complete speculation’.

Ms Thornberry, who was sacked by previous leader Ed Miliband in an election snobbery row after she posted a photograph on Twitter of a house flying a St George’s flag with a white van on the driveway while she campaigned in Rochester, is in line for a return to the shadow cabinet.

Corbyn made clear that he was opposed to all forms of military action now under consideration, and has not wavered from his lifelong support for unilateral nuclear disarmament.

All have had public disputes with Mr Corbyn since being appointed four months ago – leading critics to brand the latest shake-up a “revenge reshuffle“.

“I think what Jeremy has to do is putting together the team in the way he wants it and then refocus this debate about the economy”, the former mayor told the BBC.

Meanwhile, Labour former minister Kim Howells described Mr Corbyn and his team as “superannuated Trotskyite oppositionists” who have brought the party to its knees.

After a festive period filled with speculation about pending changes to the shadow cabinet, reporters gathered outside the Labour leader’s Westminster office for news.

‘They’ve probably got even deeper in that embrace because they feel so much more comfortable there’. But they really should have some sort of grid arrangement, given a win in the capital in May is in both of their interests. “There’ll be some changes, but I think the vast majority of members have fitted in quite well and those shadow cabinet meetings have become quite consensual”.