Corbyn appoints ally Rebecca Long-Bailey to shadow Business SecretaryThe Labour leader makes 5 appointments in totalThe party's election strategist is set to be axed with 2 crucial by-elections loomingLONDONLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn has acted swiftly to fill the vacancies in his shadow cabinet left by frontbench rebels who defied his instruction and voted against the Brexit bill.Corbyn announced four new appointments on Thursday evening. The headline promotion was that of Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, who has taken on the shadow Business Secretary role that was left empty by Clive Lewis.Lewis resigned from the post on Wednesday night after refusing to obey Corbyn's three-line-whip and support in favour of Theresa May triggering Article 50. The Norwich MP said he could not vote for something that he believed would "ultimately harm the city I have the honour to represent, love and call home."Long-Bailey is a close ally of Corbyn and is regarded by those close to the under-pressure Labour leader as a potential successor. The former Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury has just two years of experience as an MP after being elected in 2015. Nevertheless, she has been chosen to take on one of the most important shadow ministerial positions.The new shadow Business Secretary is the fourth MP to hold this position under Corbyn's troubled reign as Labour leader. This instability has done nothing to improve the party's image of being economically reckless.Bootle MP Peter Dowd has been selected to fill the shadow Treasury role left by Long-Bailey. Cumbrian MP Sue Hayman is now the shadow Environment Secretary, taking over from Rachel Maskell who like Clive Lewis resigned after voting against the Brexit bill earlier this week. Christina Rees is the new shadow Wales Secretary, replacing Jo Stevens, who also resigned.More announcements are expected this weekend, with one name to look out for being Jon Trickettthe MP for Hemsworth and Labour's elections coordinator.Multiple reports on Friday indicated that he is going to be axed as the party and Corbyn continue to struggle in the opinion polls. An ICM poll published earlier this week gave the Tories at 15-point lead over Labour. To put this into context, Labour led the Conservatives by five points at this stage in the last electoral cycle and yet went on to lose the 2015 election.Trickett's imminent departure comes with less than two weeks to go until two crucial by-elections for Labour in Stoke-on-Trent Central and Copeland.Corbyn couldn't have asked for a more thorough assessment of the party's relevance in its traditional heartlands. Both seats are a long way from London. Both have been Labour-controlled since the beginning of the 20th century. Both are working-class strongholds where faith in the Labour Party is waning. Both voted Brexit and in both, there is a very real possibility of Labour suffering a humiliating defeat.It's pretty much unheard of for an opposition party to lose a mid-term by-election. But with UKIP's Paul Nuttall running in Stoke and a confident Tory party in Copeland, Labour could wake up on February 24th two seats down in the Commons.Corbyn's decision to axe Trickett suggests that he is aware of the gravity of the situation facing him and the party. Whether there is someone else in Labour who can reverse the party's fortunes remains to be seen.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Speaker John Bercow doesn't want Trump addressing Parliament
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