MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Corbyn names shadow cabinet; appeals to unity including people from centre of the party

The appointment of Mr. McDonnell as shadow chancellor, a key ally of Corbyn on the left, could be “very hard to stomach”.

Jeremy Corbyn has named John McDonnell shadow chancellor and defeated leadership candidate Andy Burnham shadow home secretary. Hilary Benn will be shadow foreign secretary in the new Labor leader's first shadow cabinet. Lord Falconer will be shadow justice secretary, Angela Eagle will be shadow business secretary and Lewisham MP Heidi Alexander will oversee health.

 Chuka Umunna said he was leaving the front bench by “mutual agreement”. Mary Creagh also joined a number of MPs from the previous shadow cabinet who opted to return to the backbenches.

Ms Eagle was also announced as shadow first secretary of state and will deputize for Mr. Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions when David Cameron is away.

Other confirmed appointments are: Seema Malhotra shadow chief secretary to the Treasury; Diane Abbott shadow minister for international development; Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Vernon Coaker; Rosie Winterton to continue as chief whip and Ian Murray to continue as shadow Scottish secretary.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Mr Corbyn has achieved part of his first goal as leader - to include people from the centre of the party, including well-known names.

But our correspondent added many MPs will find the appointment of Mr McDonnell - a key ally of Mr Corbyn on the left - “very hard to stomach”. Several Labor politicians also criticized the new party leader for failing to give leading jobs to women.

Labor MP Diana Johnson tweeted the appointments were “so very disappointing”, while former shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran tweeted that it needed “an urgent rethink”.

Labor's deputy leader Tom Watson had urged MPs to back Mr Corbyn. But the other leadership candidates Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall, as well as Ms Creagh, Tristram Hunt, Rachel Reeves, Chris Leslie, Jamie Reed, Emma Reynolds and Shabana Mahmood said they would not serve in Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet.

Ms Cooper will, however, chair a new party taskforce on refugees.

Mr. Umunna - who pulled out of the leadership race days after declaring his candidacy earlier this year - described leaving the shadow cabinet as one of the most difficult “personal political decisions” he has had to make.

“Whilst there is much on which Jeremy and I agree, there are a number of key points of difference on policy which I believe it would be dishonest to deny exist,” the former shadow business secretary said.

He added he would “find it difficult to abide by the collective responsibility” of being in the shadow cabinet - “not least on the European referendum”.

Mr. Corbyn has said he is not content with the EU as it stands, but wants to stay to fight for a “better Europe”. He had previously refused to rule out campaigning to leave.