Harriet Harman's bag keeper booted to the backbench

Ian Lavery MP has been let go as Harriet Harman’s parliamentary private secretary because, say his supporters, he wanted to oppose the Government’s plans to cut public sector pensions — whereas Labour intends to abstain in Tuesday’s Public Pensions Bill vote.

Lavery, a former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers, had weathered jibes that he had become “Harriet’s bag keeper” when he took the PPS post but the ex-miner has apparently fallen foul of Labour Chief Whip Rosie Winterton.

“It’s ludicrous,” says one of Lavery’s colleagues. “Still, he will be a more potent force on the backbenches.”