Norwich South MP Clive Lewis could be asked to return to the shadow cabinet, John McDonnell has said.

The shadow chancellor said he will be talking to Norwich South MP Clive Lewis soon about a 'significant role' which could be on the front bench.

Mr Lewis resigned as shadow business secretary last month after defying Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's three-line whip on voting to trigger Article 50.

The Norwich South MP dismissed claims that he was gearing up for a leadership bid, insisting that he would still be working hard to support the leadership and the party from the backbenches.

Following his resignation he said he was planning to get back into a backbench routine and work hard for his constituents.

Questioned about whether he would like to see a frontbench return for Mr Lewis, who backed the veteran left-winger Mr Corbyn in successive summer leadership bids, Mr McDonnell said: 'I am hoping Cilve will be back with us soon. He is incredibly talented. He is a good friend of mine ever since I met him in parliament, and before then, and he will be playing a significant role for us in the future for definite, whether it is in shadow cabinet soon or other roles.

'There will be a role for Clive almost certainly in the future, and we will be talking to him about that shortly. That will cheer him up.'

Mr Lewis was elected as the Labour MP for Norwich South in 2015. Following the 2015 leadership contest he was given a shadow energy minister role.

But he was elevated to the shadow front bench last year after a raft of front bench resignations after Britain voted to leave the European Union.