Jeremy Corbyn yesterday announced a "unifying" shadow cabinet team with his fellow rebel and campaign manager John McDonnell handed the job of shadow chancellor of the exchequer.

Despite criticism from MPs that most of the senior front bench roles are taken by men, Corbyn has defended his appointments which "reach out to the entire party".

Corbyn said his new team was a "strong combination of change and continuity."

"We have delivered a unifying, dynamic, inclusive new shadow cabinet which for the first time ever has a majority of women," he said.

Equal cabinet?

Labour MP Diana Johnson and Margaret Curran were among several Labour politicians to criticise their new leader for not giving any of the traditionally senior roles to women. Both tweeted their displeasure at the lack of women in the top jobs.

John McDonnell said health and education were more important than the traditional "great offices of state."

"It is interesting, Jeremy said very, very clearly that we don't accept the hierarchical nature of what we have inherited by these supposed top jobs.

"They largely stem from the 19th Century when you had an empire and all that.

"For most people the real top jobs are the ones that provide the services like health and education, those sorts of things. So he has broken with that tradition and I'm really pleased."

Who's who in Corbyn's cabinet? 

Shadow chancellor: JOHN MCDONNELL

The veteran MP is a close friend of Corbyn and ran his leadership campaign. The MP for Hayes and Harlington caused controversy in 2003 by saying IRA terrorists should be "honoured" for their "armed struggle."

Shadow home secretary: ANDY BURNHAM 

Runner-up to Corbyn in the leadership campaign, Burnham has an extensive front bench career having served as chief secretary to the Treasury, culture secretary and health secretary in Gordon Brown's government. 

A leadership contender in 2010 and 2015, was previously shadow health secretary under Ed Miliband's leadership. 

Shadow foreign secretary: HILARY BENN

Benn remains as shadow foreign secretary. He is sceptical of the need for military action in Syria, a stance shared by Corbyn who has said he cannot envision a situation where he would deploy British troops. 

Deputy leader: TOM WATSON

The former trade union official was a government whip and defence minister under Tony Blair before quitting in 2006. 

Known for campaigning on issues such as phone hacking, surveillance and historical child abuse, the ally of Gordon Brown was previously deputy party chairman and Cabinet Office minister. 

Shadow business secretary: ANGELA EAGLE

The MP for Wallesey was also a member of the cabinet under Gordon Brown. 

In addition to gaining the business brief, Eagle was also announced as shadow first secretary of state and will deputise for Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions when David Cameron is away.

Shadow health secretary: HEIDI ALEXANDER

An MP since 2010, the former whip under Miliband is a fierce local campaigner for her constituency of Lewisham East. 

She has campaigned against the closure of Lewisham Hospital's A&E department. 

Shadow justice secretary: LORD FALCONER

The peer continues as shadow justice secretary having been appointed to the role by acting party leader Harriet Harman. 

In the previous parliament he led an attempt to legalise assisted suicide in the House of Lords. The so-called Falconer bill was the basis for Rob Marris' recent Assisted Dying Bill.

Shadow Commons leader: CHRIS BRYANT 

Despite backing rival candidate Yvette Cooper in the leadership contest, Bryant remains in the shadow cabinet, moving from his previous role of culture secretary. 

Bryant, a former Church of England priest, was offered the job of shadow defence secretary but did not accept it because of disagreements with Corbyn on defence policy. 

He has previously been a shadow minister in work and pensions and the home office. 

Shadow international development secretary: DIANE ABBOTT 

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington has a history of leadership attempts, losing to Ed Miliband in 2010 and Sadiq Khan in this year's London mayoral candidate election. 

Like Corbyn, she rebelled frequently under Blair and Brown and voted against her party on issues such as the war in Iraq, renewing the UK's Trident nuclear submarines and tuition fees. 

Shadow chief secretary to the treasury: SEEMA MALHOTRA 

After becoming the MP for Feltham and Heston in a 2011 by-election, she was given the newly created role of shadow minister for preventing violence against women and girls by Ed Miliband. 

She will serve under McDonnell in the Treasury team. 

Shadow education secretary: LUCY POWELL

A close ally of Miliband, she was vice-chair of Labour's general election campaign in 2015 after becoming the MP for Manchester Central in 2012. 

She will stand opposite Nicky Morgan as Labour's shadow education secretary despite admitting during the leadership campaign that she had "never, ever met or spoken to" Corbyn. 

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary: VERNON COAKER 

Before being shadow defence secretary, Coaker was previously shadow Northern Ireland secretary. 

The MP for Gedling retains his position on the front bench after chairing Yvette Cooper's leadership campaign. 

Shadow secretary of state for Scotland: IAN MURRAY 

The MP for Edinburgh South continues as shadow Scotland secretary after been given the role by Harriet Harman in May. 

Murray is Labour's only remaining MP in Scotland. 

Chief Whip: ROSIE WINTERTON 

Winterton retains the job as shadow chief whip which may prove a difficult one as she attempts to manage the different wings of the party. 

Formerly an aide to Prescott, Winterton was shadow chief whip under Miliband. 

Corbyn was praised from different wings of the party for creating a new portfolio - shadow minister for mental health which was given to Luciana Berger, the MP for Liverpool Wavertree. 

His choice of front-bench team was restricted after a number of senior Labour MPs refused to back the left-wing leader.

Fellow leadership candidates Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall, as well as Chuka Umunna, Mary Creagh, Tristram Hunt, Rachel Reeves, Chris Leslie, Jamie Reed, Emma Reynolds, Shabana Mahmood and Caroline Flint said they would not serve in Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet. 

A number of appointments were made later: 

Shadow defence secretary - Maria Eagle. 

Shadow work and pensions secretary - Owen Smith

Shadow energy secretary - Lisa Nandy

Shadow secretary of state for environment - Kerry McCarthy

Shadow communities secretary - Jon Trickett

Shadow culture secretary - Michael Dugher

Shadow secretary of state for transport - Lilian Greenwood

Shadow secretary of state for Wales - Nia Griffith

Shadow minister for young people and voter registration - Gloria De Piero

Shadow minister for mental health - Luciana Berger

Shadow leader of the House of Lords - Baroness Smith of Basildon

Lords chief whip - Lord Bassam of Brighton

Shadow attorney general- Catherine McKinnell

Shadow minister without portfolio - Jonathan Ashworth

Shadow minister for housing and planning - John Healey