Jeremy Corbyn ‘to replace ally Diane Abbott as Shadow Home Secretary with Yvette Cooper’

Yvette Cooper is being tipped to end her self-imposed exile on Labour’s front bench to take over the Home Affairs brief – dramatically vacated by Dianne Abbott on the eve of the general election. Accepting the position of Shadow Home Secretary – with Lyn Brown currently providing fill-in cover for the post – would be a remarkable political ‘twirl’ for the wife of the TV Strictly Come Dancing’s unlikeliest of star turns, Ed Balls. For it is thought that Ms Cooper was ready to challenge again for the leadership if Labour had lost ground under Jeremy Corbyn at the June 8 poll. Now the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee is reportedly willing to “consider” replacing the Labour leader’s close ally when Mr Corbyn makes his anticipated reshuffle at the end of this week. Ms Cooper has never been offered a place in Mr Corbyn`s shadow cabinet and instead was asked to lead Labour`s Refugee Taskforce. But it seems likely that Ms Abbott, who cited a “period of ill health” for stepping down, is almost certain to be permanently stripped of the crucial home affairs brief. Ms Cooper is likely to be one of just a handful of new appointments Mr Corbyn will make to his shadow cabinet as he seeks to reward his current frontbenchers for Labour’s surprise election performance. Former leader Ed Miliband is understood to have offered his services – despite describing Mr Corbyn’s position as leader as “untenable” less than a year ago. Chuka Umunna and Angela Eagle – both former frontbenchers and one-time leadership contenders – have said they would serve despite being vocal critics of Mr Corbyn’s leadership. Mr Corbyn is said to be in no rush to reshuffle his top team and aides say he is focusing his time on how to defeat Theresa May’s Queen’s Speech, which looks set to be delayed past its original June 19 schedule. He said he would “draw on all the talents” in forming the frontbench, before adding: “I don’t want to break up that winning team.” Footnote: One piece of news to cheer up the ailing Ms Abbott was her Hackney North & Stoke Newington election result. She was returned with a thumping 35,139 majority after receiving 42,265 and 75 per cent share of the votes. By contrast, Home Secretary Amber Rudd scraped home with a 346-vote majority.