Jeremy Corbyn has resumed the reshuffle of his frontbench team with the appointment of a pro-Trident MP as a shadow defence minister.
Wayne David will work as a junior spokesman under shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith, who, like Mr Corbyn, does not support renewing Britain’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent.
Clive Lewis was moved from the defence portfolio to become shadow business secretary following controversy at last month’s Labour Party conference, when the leader’s office doctored the ex-soldier’s speech on Trident at the last minute.
But it remains party policy to support Trident renewal, in contrast to the Labour leader’s view on the deterrent.
In a July Commons vote, Mr David voted to back renewal of Trident.
He tweeted: “Have accepted front bench shadow defence post. Important to take on the Tories. In an uncertain world, Labour stands for strong defence.”
Mr David’s appointment also marks the return of another MP who resigned from the frontbench in June in protest at Mr Corbyn’s leadership.
It means some 26 MPs who had previously quit have now accepted frontbench posts, though the bulk of the 63 who staged the mass walkout after the EU referendum remain on the backbenches.
