ES Lifestyle newsletter The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive trends and interviews from fashion, lifestyle to travel every week, by email Update newsletter preferences

In a private meeting room at the TUC conference in Brighton this week, key supporters of Jeremy Corbyn gathered with their calculators and maps to come up with a plan. They had just heard that the Labour leader’s safe Islington North constituency was to be carved up under boundary changes, with chunks allocated to neighbouring seats, part of an effort to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600, with London losing five of its 73.

His inner circle back at Westminster conducted a similar exercise and word soon spread among union delegates at the seaside town that the masterplan was “everybody moves east”. Corbyn should, they decided, get priority in the new Finsbury Park and Stoke Newington constituency over his parliamentary neighbour, long-term ally and former lover Diane Abbott.

The move quelled juicy rumours of an Abbott v Corbyn contest over the new seat — it takes in around half of each of their existing ones — which had many observers rubbing their hands with glee. “It could be Jeremy and Diane slugging it out — and that would be a fascinating contest, especially given their romantic past,” said one London MP.

A Corbyn ally told the Standard that the leader would still have a seat to contest as nearly 60 per cent of the new constituency is in his existing one. Under party rules an MP has a right to seek selection for a new seat if it contains 40 per cent of their previous one.

Fears that another close political ally, Islington South MP Emily Thornberry, could fall victim to the changes also appeared wide of the mark when it emerged that her seat would survive virtually intact.

Corbyn is said to be relaxed about losing his seat to boundary changes but with his main rival Abbott shunted over to the new seat of Hackney Central and her neighbour Meg Hillier moved to Bethnal Green and Bow under the contingency plan, that is hardly surprising.

The final move in the political chess game would be for Rushanara Ali to move to Poplar and Limehouse, where long-standing MP Jim Fitzpatrick confirmed to the Standard he is standing down.

London School of Economics professor Tony Travers suggested it could be a difficult juggling act for the leader’s office to pull off. “It’s a bit imperial of them to say these five people want to keep their seats therefore their new constituency parties will choose them. Presumably it’s the members who make that decision. The difficulty for the leadership would be that they can’t deliver all five. Any sense that even one wouldn’t work would cause ructions.”

While Abbott might be prepared to fall on her sword for her old friend — though those who know her best claim it’s highly unlikely — the same couldn’t be said for Hillier or Ali. It also raises the prospect of all-women shortlists as under party rules there would normally be one if the incumbent was female.

Any one of the women MPs volunteering to step aside for Corbyn would be a headache as he has committed to keeping the number of women MPs at pre-boundary reform levels.

Hillier, chair of the influential Commons Public Accounts Committee, was described as “hostile” to the leadership in a leaked internal party document, while both she and Ali backed the motion of no confidence in the embattled leader.

Fitzpatrick, another Corbyn critic, said he expected the pair to “stay put” rather than “reshuffle to accommodate other people”.

One London Labour member added: “They’re asking for them to voluntarily sacrifice themselves to give a free run to somebody they don’t support… Why would they do that?”

Poplar and Limehouse might not be such an appealing prospect for Ali. If the Tories fielded a strong candidate and got out the vote on the Isle of Dogs and riverside developments they could overturn Fitzpatrick’s 6,000 majority.

“The way the Labour Party is going at the moment, even seats that at the last election were fairly safe will be marginal by the next one,” said one local councillor.

Hillier, who has the most to lose from a bruising contest with Abbott, brushed aside the proposals, suggesting Corbyn’s office was unnecessarily “getting in a lather” about them. “They don’t need to worry about anything yet because nothing is set in stone. Things can change dramatically. They did last time,” she told the Standard. “It’s far too premature to talk about carving things up and doing deals. It’s about the members and the Boundary Commission.”

But opinion is divided as to who would win a contest between the two women.

James Goldstone, a former Labour staffer, tweeted: “I think Meg Hillier would lose to any Corbynista going.”

Others disagreed. “I’m not sure Diane could dislodge Meg if it was a straight fight,” said Gurtig Sandhu.

One senior figure in the Hackney party said: “Diane has her fans and hardcore acolytes in the constituency party. But even if you think she’s just a media tart are you really going to vote against the first black woman in Parliament?”

Hillier and Ali are already being urged to play ball. Hackney’s Momentum account tweeted: “The MP deselections present an opportunity to get MPs more in tune with Jeremy Corbyn.”

And fears among moderates of a Momentum-led campaign to influence the selections appeared unfounded. The group is not as active in east London as many think.

The founding meeting of Momentum, London East End, covering an area with up to 10,000 party members, attracted just 50 people.

Labour senior MPs' resignations (and one sacking) 35 show all Labour senior MPs' resignations (and one sacking) 1/35 Hilary Benn, shadow Foreign Secretary - sacked Neil Hall/Reuters 2/35 Lord Falconer, shadow Justice Secretary - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 3/35 Gloria De Piero, shadow Minister for Young People and Vote Registration - resigned AFP/Getty Images 4/35 Heidi Alexander, shadow Secretary for Health - resigned Gareth Fuller/PA 5/35 Lilian Greenwood, shadow Transport Secretary - resigned AFP/Getty Images 6/35 Vernon Coaker, shadow Northern Ireland Secretary - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 7/35 Yvonne Fovargue, Yvonne Fovargue, shadow Business - resigned 8/35 Neil Coyle, parliamentary aide to Chris Bryant - resigned AFP/Getty Images 9/35 Seema Malhotra, shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury - resigned Lauren Hurley/PA 10/35 Alex Cunningham, shadow Natural Environment - resigned 11/35 Kerry McCarthy, shadow Secretary of State for the Environment - resigned Gareth Fuller/PA 12/35 Wayne David, shadow Cabinet Office, Scotland and Justice - resigned www.waynedavid.co.uk 13/35 Diana Johnson, shadow Foreign Minister -resigned John Stillwell/PA 14/35 Steve Reed, shadow Local Government - resigned Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images 15/35 Anna Turley, shadow Minister for Civil society - resigned Ian Forsyth/Getty Images 16/35 Karl Turner, shadow Attorney General - resigned John Stillwell/PA 17/35 Ian Murray, shadow Scottish Secretary - resigned Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA 18/35 Lucy Powell, shadow Education Minister - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 19/35 Chris Bryant, shadow Leader of the House of Commons - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 20/35 Toby Perkins, shadow Armed Forces Minister - resigned John Stillwell/PA 21/35 Stephen Kinnock, parliamentary private secretary to Angela Eagle - resigned Stefan Rousseau/PA 22/35 Jess Phillips, parliamentary private secretary to Lucy Powell - resigned PA 23/35 Angela Eagle, shadow First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills - resigned Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images 24/35 Lisa Nandy, shadow Energy Secretary - resigned Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images 25/35 Owen Smith, shadow Work and Pensions - resigned AFP/Getty Images 26/35 Nia Griffith, shadow Secretary of State for Wales - resigned Rex 27/35 Jenny Chapman, shadow Education - resigned www.jennychapman.co.uk 28/35 Roberta Blackman-Wood, shadow Housing and Communities and Local Government 29/35 Shadow Minister for Housing John Healey 30/35 Susan Elan Jones, shadow Wales Office minister 31/35 Sharon Hodgson, shadow minister for children 32/35 Melanie Onn, shadow deputy leader of the Commons 33/35 Kate Green, shadow equalities minister 34/35 Thangam Debbonaire, shadow culture minister 35/35 Jack Dromey DM pics 1/35 Hilary Benn, shadow Foreign Secretary - sacked Neil Hall/Reuters 2/35 Lord Falconer, shadow Justice Secretary - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 3/35 Gloria De Piero, shadow Minister for Young People and Vote Registration - resigned AFP/Getty Images 4/35 Heidi Alexander, shadow Secretary for Health - resigned Gareth Fuller/PA 5/35 Lilian Greenwood, shadow Transport Secretary - resigned AFP/Getty Images 6/35 Vernon Coaker, shadow Northern Ireland Secretary - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 7/35 Yvonne Fovargue, Yvonne Fovargue, shadow Business - resigned 8/35 Neil Coyle, parliamentary aide to Chris Bryant - resigned AFP/Getty Images 9/35 Seema Malhotra, shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury - resigned Lauren Hurley/PA 10/35 Alex Cunningham, shadow Natural Environment - resigned 11/35 Kerry McCarthy, shadow Secretary of State for the Environment - resigned Gareth Fuller/PA 12/35 Wayne David, shadow Cabinet Office, Scotland and Justice - resigned www.waynedavid.co.uk 13/35 Diana Johnson, shadow Foreign Minister -resigned John Stillwell/PA 14/35 Steve Reed, shadow Local Government - resigned Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images 15/35 Anna Turley, shadow Minister for Civil society - resigned Ian Forsyth/Getty Images 16/35 Karl Turner, shadow Attorney General - resigned John Stillwell/PA 17/35 Ian Murray, shadow Scottish Secretary - resigned Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA 18/35 Lucy Powell, shadow Education Minister - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 19/35 Chris Bryant, shadow Leader of the House of Commons - resigned Jonathan Brady/PA 20/35 Toby Perkins, shadow Armed Forces Minister - resigned John Stillwell/PA 21/35 Stephen Kinnock, parliamentary private secretary to Angela Eagle - resigned Stefan Rousseau/PA 22/35 Jess Phillips, parliamentary private secretary to Lucy Powell - resigned PA 23/35 Angela Eagle, shadow First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills - resigned Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images 24/35 Lisa Nandy, shadow Energy Secretary - resigned Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images 25/35 Owen Smith, shadow Work and Pensions - resigned AFP/Getty Images 26/35 Nia Griffith, shadow Secretary of State for Wales - resigned Rex 27/35 Jenny Chapman, shadow Education - resigned www.jennychapman.co.uk 28/35 Roberta Blackman-Wood, shadow Housing and Communities and Local Government 29/35 Shadow Minister for Housing John Healey 30/35 Susan Elan Jones, shadow Wales Office minister 31/35 Sharon Hodgson, shadow minister for children 32/35 Melanie Onn, shadow deputy leader of the Commons 33/35 Kate Green, shadow equalities minister 34/35 Thangam Debbonaire, shadow culture minister 35/35 Jack Dromey DM pics

“It’s largely made up of angry young women with dyed pink hair and old crusties,” said one Labour member. “I don’t think Rushanara or Meg have anything to worry about with Momentum. They’re not as strong in London as some people think.”

The group poses a more serious threat in Haringey, Lambeth and Lewisham, where it is said to have plans to unseat moderate MPs.

Labour MPs across London are lamenting the shortage of seats. “We just won’t have the seats to parachute people into,” one said. “There will be casualties.”

Not just among Labour. Education Secretary Justine Greening could have a fight on her hands with Treasury minister Jane Ellison in Putney, while international trade minister Greg Hands could lose his to Labour.

But for Labour, which is likely to lose 25 seats to the Tories’ 17, it is critical.

“This whole thing is overlaid by the struggle between MPs and members, between Momentum and traditional Labour,” said Professor Travers. “It makes it rather like the Brexit negotiations or a very complicated game of chess. It’s going to further sap the time and the energy of senior Labour members to act as an Opposition.”

Most MPs are facing the upheaval with grim determination, although there are moments of lightness.

One politician, leaving a meeting on the boundary changes on Tuesday night, quipped: “All-women shortlist in Islington, that’s all we want.”

Follow Pippa Crerar on Twitter: @pippacrerar