The Labour reshuffle has seen shadow rail minister Jonathon Reynolds resign from the front bench in protest at the treatment of colleagues.
In a Facebook post this morning the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde said: 'On reflection regarding yesterday's Labour reshuffle, I have decided that it's best if I serve the Party as a backbencher. I've written to Jeremy this morning to let him know.'
The news comes after shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden was sacked in the reshuffle, claiming it was because leader Jeremy Corbyn disliked what he had said about apologists for terrorism after the Paris attacks.
Jonathon Reynolds MP
He told the Today Programme: ‘[Corbyn] clearly feels that me saying terrorists are entirely responsible for their action, that no one forces anyone to kill innocent people in Paris, to blow up the London underground, to behead innocent aid workers in Syria, that when I say they are entirely responsible for that, he clearly interpreted that as an attack on him. So you’d have to ask what is the difference between my view and his. And he’d have to explain that to you.’
In response, Mr Reynolds said in an open letter: 'Although I was personally against the proposal to extend airstrikes into Syria, I cannot in good conscience endorse the world view of the Stop the War Coalition, who I believe to be fundamentally wrong in their assessment and understanding of the threats the UK faces.
'The security and well-being of my constituents must always be my first consideration, and I therefore believe my colleague Pat McFadden was right to condemn those who would to any degree absolve Isis [Islamic State] for their actions following the atrocities in Paris.'
Shadow foreign affairs minister Stephen Doughty has also quit over Mr McFadden's sacking.
Shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood has kept her post, but shadow culture secretary and former shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher was removed in what has become a high profile and extremely bitter row between himself and Mr Corbyn.
