Camden and Haringey Labour MPs ranked as ‘core plus’ and ‘neutral but not hostile’ in leaked Corbyn ‘loyalty list’

Tulip Siddiq said she could not support HS2 and defied the three-line whip (Image: Archant)

On a day where he is expected to defy a three-line Labour whip for the first time and vote against HS2, Sir Keir Starmer was placed in the “core plus” group, considered to be Jeremy Corbyn’s “outer circle” of trusted MPs.

The Holborn and St Pancras MP is often mentioned as a possible future leader of the party, so his placement in the “core plus” group has surprised the commentariat.

Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, is placed in the “neutral but not hostile group”, regarded as mid-table respectability.

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Catherine West finds herself in the same “core plus” group as Sir Keir.

Ms West was one of the 19 MPs who actually voted for Mr Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest.

Ms Siddiq nominated Mr Corbyn for leader “to widen the debate”, but did not vote for him.

Sir Keir backed Andy Burnham for leader, and whilst he has never been publicly disloyal towards him, he once delivered the news that Jeremy Corbyn “is not the messiah”.

He is currently in the shadow cabinet as a junior immigration minister, although there is speculation he could be forced to resign if he votes against HS2 later this afternoon, as expected.

During his time on the backbenches, Mr Corbyn was the consummate rebel, defying the Labour whip on more than 500 occasions.

During Prime Minister’s Questions today, Mr Corbyn tried to distance himself from the list, and claimed he had no knowledge of it before today.

MPs have been divided into five categories - “core” or inner circle colleagues, “core plus”, “neutral but not hostile”, “core group negative” and “hostile”.

It is unclear where the list originated from, but it was leaked to The Times newspaper and published this morning.