I accepted the post of Shadow Europe Minister because Britain’s future in the EU is of crucial importance, particularly when the Conservatives are so divided on the issue.

I hope Labour retains its strong and clear position to campaign for the United Kingdom to remain in the EU.

Mr Corbyn has told me he does not want me to continue to serve on his front bench, in particular because of questions I asked about terrorism and national security in the Commons statement following the Paris terrorist attacks. 

It is his prerogative to decide his front bench team and I will continue to support and work for Labour in any way I can.

My question to the Prime Minister in the statement on 17 November following the Paris terror attacks was as follows:

Mr Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East) (Lab): “May I ask the Prime Minister to reject the view that sees terrorist acts as always being a response or a reaction to what we in the west do? Does he agree that such an approach risks infantilising the terrorists and treating them like children, when the truth is that they are adults who are entirely responsible for what they do? No one forces them to kill innocent people in Paris or Beirut. Unless we are clear about that, we will fail even to understand the threat we face, let alone confront it and ultimately overcome it.”

Ends