VETERAN Newport West MP Paul Flynn has lost his role on the Labour frontbenches in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet reshuffle.

The long-serving MP was appointed shadow Welsh secretary and shadow leader of the house in July in the wake of a spate of resignations from Mr Corbyn’s cabinet in protest against his leadership.

It was a surprise promotion for the 81-year-old, who was first elected to Parliament in 1987 and had sat on the backbenches for 26 years since resigning from Neil Kinnock’s shadow cabinet in 1990.

But, in a reshuffle following his re-election last month, the controversial Labour leader handed Walsall South MP Valarie Vaz the role of shadow leader of the house and Cardiff Central’s Jo Stevens the Wales portfolio.

Mr Flynn, who stuck by Mr Corbyn during the divisive leadership contest, has applauded the new appointments, calling the new shadow cabinet team “greatly improved”.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “A little restraint required on greatly improved new full shadow cabinet. Divisions have done Labour grievous harm. No more – please.”

He also said: “Escape addiction to internal rows and applaud fresh talent and unique diversity of new Labour shadow cabinet. Pessimism is unhealthy trait.”

He also congratulated Ms Vaz, praising her “stellar talents” and Ms Stevens, who he called her “one of the dazzling talents of the 2015 Labour Welsh team.”

When he was handed the roles Mr Flynn said he did not expect the appointments to be a permanent arrangement, saying: “It looks like it’ll be for a few weeks.”

“I’ll be in both roles for as long as the crisis in the Labour Party lasts, which hopefully will be coming to a swift end very soon,” he said.

Mr Flynn hit the headlines while on the Labour frontbenches when in August he called for MPs to be given allowances based on the distance they had to travel to Westminster rather than having to claim for expenses.

Claiming the scheme would free Parliamentarians from “the tentacles of tedious bureaucracy”, he said having to make expenses claims “robs MPs and our staff of much of their most precious possession – time”.

As with much of his leadership, Mr Corbyn’s reshuffle has proven controversial among many Labour Party figures, with the sacking of popular chief whip Doncaster Central MP Rosie Winterton proving especially contentious.

But the Labour leader defended his choices, saying: "I have acted to bring together a strong and diverse opposition leadership team."