Former leadership rival Owen Smith appointed to Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary in Jeremy Corbyn’s reshuffle

The Labour leader added: 'I look forward to working with the strengthened shadow cabinet as we prepare a government in waiting to carry out our manifesto for the many not the few'

Owen Smith and Jeremy Corbyn before the announcement of the winner in the Labour leadership contest between the pair at the ACC Liverpool (PA)

Owen Smith, who unsuccessfully challenged Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership of the party, has re- joined the Labour leader’s revamped frontbench as the Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary.

Mr Smith - an adviser to the Northern Ireland Secretary during Tony Blair’s Labour administration - is the first to return Mr Corbyn's frontbench team in the wake of the party’s electoral gains last week.

Announcing the changes to his Shadow Cabinet, Mr Corbyn said: “I am delighted to announce four appointments to fill shadow cabinet vacancies. I look forward to working with the strengthened shadow cabinet as we prepare a government in waiting to carry out our manifesto for the many not the few.

“Our party is now on a permanent campaign footing in anticipation of the failure of Theresa May's attempt to establish a stable administration with the support of the DUP.

“I am therefore appointing Ian Lavery, Co-National Campaign Coordinator, to the additional role of Labour Party Chair to strengthen our campaigning and party organisation, as we prepare to contest a new general election and form the next government.”

Mr Corbyn also appointed his ally, Ian Lavery, as co-national campaign coordinator and party chairman while Dawn Butler has returned to her diverse communities brief after she resigned from the post earlier this year over Labour’s position on the triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Lesley Laird - elected as an MP last week - has been appointed Shadow Scotland Secretary and Andrew Gwynne, a prominent figure in the party’s general election effort, has now taken on the communities and local government brief, alongside his duties of coordinating Labour’s national campaigns.

More announcements are expected to be announced before the end of the week as Mr Corbyn fills positions that have been vacant since the summer of 2016 after he faced a vote of no confidence in his leadership. Earlier this week the former Labour deputy leader, Harriet Harman, urged her colleagues to accept any invitations to join Mr Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet.