John McDonnell rules out ever standing for Labour leader as shadow cabinet revolt gathers momentum

'No, no I won’t. Jeremy is not falling on his sword and if he did I would not be standing. Let’s make this clear: he’s not going anywhere'

John McDonnell has ruled out ever standing as leader of the Labour party and insisted Jeremy Corbyn will not resign, despite a number of high-profile resignations from his shadow Cabinet.

It comes as Hilary Benn, the shadow Foreign Secretary, was sacked by the Labour leader after reportedly calling fellow MPs over the weekend to take soundings about a putsch. At a "critical" time for the country, the Labour party required strong and effective leadership, Mr Benn said.

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Just hours later Hedi Alexander, the shadow Health Secretary, resigned from Labour’s frontbench citing her concerns about the ability of the party to win a general under Mr Corbyn.

“Let me get this absolutely clear – I will never stand for leadership of the Labour party. If Jeremy has to stand for another leadership election I will chair his campaign and I think the Labour party members will elect him again,” Mr McDonnell told the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme in a defiant interview.

Asked whether he would stand if Mr Corbyn was to “ever fall on his sword”, the shadow Chancellor added: “No, no I won’t. Jeremy is not falling on his sword and if he did I would not be standing. Let’s make this clear: he’s not going anywhere.

“Jeremy and I have been close friends for 30 years, the best political allies. I will always have his back.”

“I’m not standing and he’s not going,” Mr McDonnell repeated.

In a plea to members of the shadow Cabinet, Mr McDonnell said: “I know how disappointed people are at the loss of the European referendum but now is the time we hold together – there’s no government in place. We’ve got to provide that leadership.

Asked whether it was all over for Mr Corbyn, the shadow Chancellor replied: “No, not all. Jeremy is going nowhere. He was elected nine months ago with the biggest mandate of any political leader in our country and he’s not going anywhere. The people who are sovereign in our party are the members and it’s the members who elected Jeremy and he’ll remain.”

A motion of no confidence in the leader has been tabled by senior backbencher Dame Margaret Hodge. In a letter to Labour MPs, also signed by Ann Coffey, who seconded the motion, she said: "If a general election is called later this year, which is a very real prospect, we believe that under Jeremy's leadership we could be looking at political oblivion."

The no confidence motion is expected to be considered by MPs at the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday, with a vote by secret ballot the following day.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn insisted he has no intention of resigning. "Jeremy Corbyn is the democratically elected leader of the Labour Party and will remain so," the spokesman said.