Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he will not support changes to Labour's rules which would make it easier for constituency parties to deselect sitting MPs.
Labour moderates have feared the prospect of campaigns to oust them for speaking out against the left-winger following his landslide leadership election victory.
The leader said he was "crystal clear" that he would not support any moves to make it easier for constituency parties to eject their sitting MP and instead insisted Labour would focus on fighting Tory plans to "rig the constitution" by cutting the size of the House of Commons.
Mr Corbyn has appointed chief whip Rosie Winterton to lead Labour's opposition to the Government's plans to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600 through a process of constituency boundary reviews.
He said: "David Cameron and the Conservative Party are trying to rig the constitution for their own political ends. They want to reduce by 50 the number of directly elected Members of Parliament under the guise of reducing the cost of politics, whilst cramming the Lords full with their unelected friends and donors at the taxpayer's expense.
"I am delighted that Rosie Winterton has agreed to lead Labour's work on this important issue. We need a response across the party and Parliamentary aspects of what the Tories are planning to do, and Rosie Winterton will ensure that this is delivered in a consensual way.
"I wish to make it absolutely crystal clear that I do not support any changes to Labour's rules to make it easier to deselect sitting Labour MPs."
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