United Kingdom

A Labour MP has denied being sacked from the front bench for suggesting council tax for expensive homes in England should be doubled.

Chris Williamson, who resigned as shadow fire minister on Thursday, also told the BBC's Daily Politics Jeremy Corbyn remained "a very close friend".

Some Labour MPs suggested Mr Corbyn had fired him over the comments, which he had stressed were not party policy.

Labour's announcement on Thursday that he had left the party's front bench did not give any reasons for his departure. But some Labour MPs linked it to his comments the day before, in which he suggesting doubling council tax on the highest value homes in England could help councils ease budgetary pressures.