Labour reshuffle: Article 50 rebels let off the hook by Corbyn

Corbyn's reshuffle ended with 13 of his top team who defied his three line whip - including three whips - keeping their jobs

Jeremy Corbyn has discussed disciplinary action with Labour's chief whip (PA)

Labour MPs who rebelled against Jeremy Corbyn’s three line whip and opposed the Government’s Brexit bill in a Commons vote this week will receive a formal warning from the party but can remain in their shadow cabinet posts, it has emerged.

Labour sources said the chief whip met with Mr Corbyn to discuss disciplinary issues arising from the Article 50 Bill.

It is understood the chief whip will be taking action in the form of a formal warning to all Labour MPs who broke the whip.

They will also be under strict instructions to comply with the whip in the future, the source said.

But the rebels, some of whom are whips themselves, will be able to keep their jobs.

When Mr Corbyn was asked earlier in the week if he intended to fire 13 members of his own team who rebelled against the three-line whip and voted against the bill that granted Theresa May the authority to trigger Article 50, he replied: “I am a very lenient person.”

More than 40 Labour MPs voted against the three-line whip, including three whips. At the bill’s first reading, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbot was absent with a migraine.

Mr Corbyn said then: "No, there isn’t going to be a wide reshuffle,” and yesterday promoted Rebecca Long-Bailey to the Shadow Business role vacated by the resignation of Clive Lewis.