Jeremy Corbyn has sacked two senior figures for 'disloyalty' and installed a Trident opponent in the key shadow defence brief as he sought to get a grip on his top team.

Norwich South MP Clive Lewis, who had been tipped for a place in the shadow cabinet, has missed out on this occasion.

He had been a tipped for the shadow defence brief but earlier this week said he said he did not want a shadow cabinet role and wanted to stay where he was.

After more than 30 hours of apparently bitter reshuffle wrangling, the Labour leader stopped short of dismissing shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn.

But he added Europe spokesman Pat McFadden to the casualty list alongside shadow culture secretary Michael Dugher.

Maria Eagle is being shifted from shadow defence secretary to replace Mr Dugher, having been seen as blocking Mr Corbyn's desire to oppose renewal of the UK's nuclear deterrent.

Her berth is taken by Emily Thornberry, who is in line with the leader on Trident.

A senior Labour source said Mr Corbyn had reached an 'agreement' with Mr Benn that there could be no repeat of the situation over Syria airstrikes - when they set out opposing views from the despatch box.

The changes, finalised at 12.45am, sparked dismay from some Labour MPs, but were far less dramatic than some had predicted, with Blairites such as shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer retaining their posts.

The source said they had always planned the shake-up to be 'relatively modest' rather than a 'Big Bang'.

Mr Dugher had shown 'incompetence' and 'serial disloyalty', while Mr McFadden had made thinly-veiled criticisms of the leader on issues such as his response to the Paris terror attacks.

'Some shadow cabinet ministers had got into the habit of regularly attacking the elected leadership, tipping over into abuse,' the source said.

They denied the reshuffle marked the end of Mr Corbyn's 'new politics', arguing that the length of the process was a reflection of the leader's 'desire to engage in a genuine debate' and 'consult widely' before making appointments.

The source also stressed that there were now 17 women and 14 men in the full shadow cabinet.

Installing Mrs Thornberry as defence secretary was seen as crucial with a key Commons vote on renewing Trident due soon.

Mr Corbyn could otherwise have again found himself at loggerheads with the shadow minister supposed to be presenting the party's position in Parliament.

The source said Ms Eagle - who had clashed with former London mayor Ken Livingstone over a defence policy review they were jointly overseeing - had been keen to take on the culture brief.

Mr McFadden, whose place is being taken by Pat Glass, said he originally accepted his job because the looming EU referendum was of 'crucial importance'.

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

'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.'

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

Mr Benn posted on Twitter: 'Pat McFadden made an outstanding contribution as shadow minister in arguing the case for Britain's place in EU. Privilege to work with him.'

Labour backbencher Wes Streeting said he was 'gutted' by the news, branding the leadership 'a shower'.

'Crucial year with EU ref and we've lost an experienced heavyweight. What a shower,' he wrote.