Brent North MP Barry Gardiner has been appointed as the shadow energy and climate change secretary by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Gardiner is taking the place of Lisa Nandy who is one around 40 frontbenchers who have resigned from the shadow cabinet in the last two days following the EU referendum.

Since Mr Gardiner won his seat in the borough from the Conservatives in 1997, Mr Gardiner, a prominent environmental campaigner, has held a number of junior ministerial roles including serving in the Northern Ireland Office, Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

He also served as former Labour leader Ed Miliband’s Special Envoy for Environment and Climate Change between 2011 and 2013.

Mr Corbyn has ignored calls for his resignation and MPs are preparing to vote on a no confidence motion tabled by veteran backbencher Dame Margaret Hodge in a secret ballot this evening.