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Labour was today in the midst of a full-blown leadership crisis as 11 shadow cabinet members quit and one was sacked during a coup aimed at ousting Jeremy Corbyn.

Shadow commons leader Chris Bryant became the 12th MP to leave Labour's top team in less than 24 hours when he announced his resignation at about 9.20pm on Sunday, declaring: "We need someone new to lead and unite Labour."

Rising stars Lucy Powell, Gloria De Piero were earlier among those who resigned as Mr Corbyn faced criticism for his lacklustre role in the EU referendum campaign.

Shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander, shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood, shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray and shadow environment secretary Kerry McCarthy also quit on a tumultuous day for the Labour leader.

Significantly, one of Mr Corbyn's cabinet allies, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra, also resigned.

Northern Ireland secretary Vernon Coaker then became the eighth to walk away at about 5pm, followed by Lord Falconer - the shadow justice secretary - about an hour later.

Shadow attorney general Karl Turner announced his departure as shadow attorney general "with a very heavy heart" at about 7pm.

The resignations came after Mr Corbyn sacked respected shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn in the early hours of this morning.

In total, 11 MPs have left the shadow cabinet in less than 24 hours.

But the Labour leader was boosted by shadow home secretary Andy Burnham, who vowed to stay in his job, tweeting: “I have never taken part in a coup against any Leader of the Labour Party and I am not going to start now.”

Mr Burnham, who hopes to become the party's candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoralty and was defeated by Mr Corbyn in the 2015 leadership race, added that it was for Labour members to decide the leader and they had given Mr Corbyn a "resounding mandate".

Labour sources say shadow Commons leader Chris Bryant is also among a group of at least 10 members of Mr Corbyn's top team who are expected to quit today as the Labour leader faced open revolt in his party.

Shadow Cabinet departures Chris Bryant, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Karl Turner, Shadow Attorney General Lord Falconer, Shadow Justice Secretary Vernon Coaker, Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Seema Malhotra, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Kerry McCarthy, Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment Lucy Powell, Shadow Education Minister Lilian Greenwood, Shadow Transport Secretary Ian Murray, Shadow Scottish Secretary Gloria Del Pierro, Shadow Minister for Young People and Vote Registration Heidi Alexander, Shadow Secretary for Health Hilary Benn, Shadow Foreign Secretary

Ms Powell used her resignation letter to Mr Corbyn to warn that the party faced an "existential threat" and told him that he did not understand the concerns of voters in the Labour heartlands.

Ms De Piero echoed the view, saying in her resignation letter: "I do not believe you can deliver that victory at a general election, which may take place in a matter of months.

"I have been contacted by many of my members this weekend and it is clear that a good number of them share that view and have lost faith in your leadership."

The resignations came as MPs prepared to discuss a motion of no confidence in Mr Corbyn - tabled by the veteran backbencher Dame Margaret Hodge - at the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday.

It is expected to be followed by a vote of MPs in a secret ballot the next day. Although the motion has no formal standing, rebels are hoping that if it is passed his position will become untenable.

Shadow Chancellor McDonnell insisted there was no mood for a change at the top of the party among the grassroots activists who swept Mr Corbyn to the leadership and who would decide any contest.

He acknowledged, however, that a challenge may be unavoidable and said he was ready to chair Mr Corbyn's campaign committee as he did in last year's leadership election.

"If there is a leadership election, I'm hoping that we can get that over with fairly quickly, and we can get back to business in September," he told BBC News.

"If it is triggered fairly quickly... I think we should try and get it over with in two months at least, maybe three maximum, but come back at least in October and get Jeremy back in position so we can then go straight into what could be a general election campaign."

Shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott - another of Mr Corbyn's allies - angrily accused the rebels of plotting their move for months.

"The truth about today's coup attempt is that it has been long-planned," she told BBC News.

"This has been planned for months and ordinary party members will not understand why Labour MPs want to set themselves at odds with the membership and, at this very difficult time, choose to play what are essentially Westminster games."

Mr Benn, who has been at odds with Mr Corbyn since they took opposing sides in the Commons vote on military action in Syria, said the party needed "strong and effective leadership" in the wake of the referendum vote.

"We don't currently have that and there is also no confidence that we will be able to win a general election as long as Jeremy remains leader," he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.

"It is for each individual to make their own decision, I have made mine and I made my views clear to Jeremy. He is a good and decent man but he is not a leader and that is the problem."