SHADOW chancellor John McDonnell dismissed claims yesterday that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s position had been undermined by the vote to bomb Syria.

He said that Mr Corbyn retains the support of the “overwhelming majority” of the Labour Party over his opposition to the air strikes.

Mr McDonnell also insisted that shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn will be able to continue holding the government to account over the military campaign from the Labour front bench, despite siding with the Tories in Wednesday’s crunch Commons vote.