HYNDBURN and Haslingden MP Graham Jones has resigned from his position as a shadow party whip following Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership victory at the weekend.

Mr Jones, who was elected to the House of Commons in 2010, will return to the backbenches following Mr Corbyn’s landslide win on Saturday.

Mr Corbyn received more than 251,000 of 422,000 votes in the leadership contest which ran for three months.

Following his resignation Mr Jones has stressed that while he could not serve under the new leader they do however get on well.

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On Twitter Mr Jones said: “I’m leaving the front bench after this week.

“My traditional Labour values aren’t shared by Jeremy.

“We do get on well though.

“You beat austerity by raising productivity and thus living standards and by being efficient with money.”

The former Hyndburn Council leader was appointed to the whips office following Ed Miliband becoming Labour leader in October 2010.

Fellow Labour MPs Kate Hollern, who represents Blackburn, and Burnley MP Julie Cooper were not offered positions in the new-look shadow cabinet.

The election of the left-wing Mr Corbyn has led to raft of resignations among the front bench MPs including defeated Labour leadership candidates Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall.

Andy Burnham, who came second in the poll, has accepted the shadow home secretary role. The new leader has unveiled a new top team including his long-standing ally John McDonnell as shadow chancellor.

Manchester central MP Lucy Powell has been named as the new shadow education secretary, replacing Tristram Hunt who visited Holy Trinity RC High School in Burnley during the general election.

Angela Eagle, the new shadow business secretary, was also named shadow first secretary of state and will stand in for Mr Corbyn at Prime Minister’s Questions when Prime Minister David Cameron is away.

Mr Corbyn made his first Commons appearance yesterday since becoming Opposition leader, as a shadow cabinet member declared Labour is “ready, willing and able” to challenge the Government.

The Islington North MP chatted with Speaker John Bercow as he arrived in the chamber for a debate on the Trade Union Bill.

New shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott sat to Mr Corbyn’s left with shadow business secretary Angela Eagle to his right.