AT LEAST two members of the shadow cabinet privately want Britain to exit left from the European Union, the Morning Star can reveal.

Some 213 of Labour’s 231 MPs have signed up to support Labour In for Britain, which will be formally launched in Birmingham today by former home secretary Alan Johnson.

Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and every member of his shadow cabinet have joined the campaign, according to a list published by the group.

But the Star understands that two shadow ministers are among nine MPs on the list who do not support EU membership or are sceptical about its benefits for British workers.

Sources in the rival Labour Leave campaign said prominent front-bench figures are simply “toeing the line” for the sake of party unity.

A spokesman said: “We know there are people on that list, including members of the shadow cabinet, who we know are privately Eurosceptic because we have spoken with them.

“We expect that a number of people on that list will not actually campaign for Britain to remain in the EU.”

Veteran Eurosceptics Kate Hoey, Kelvin Hopkins, Graham Stringer and Roger Godsiff have already declared their support for the Labour Leave campaign, which is backed by the party’s biggest private donor John Mills.

Several other prominent back-bench MPs are also missing from the list of supporters published by Labour In at the weekend.

The 17 EU refuseniks include Ian Lavery, the shadow cabinet office minister chair of the party's trade union group of MPs, and left-wing veterans Dennis Skinner and Ronnie Campbell.

Mr Lavery, who will remain neutral during the referendum campaign, told the Star that while many jobs in his constituency depended on EU trade, he was dismayed by the impact of EU state aid rules on the coal and steel industries. 

During the Labour leadership campaign, Mr Corbyn himself refused to rule out campaigning for Britain to leave the EU if the Tories tried to “trade away” workers’ rights.

“Cutting the burden on business” is one of four demands being pursued by David Cameron during his renegotiation of Britain’s EU membership.

The TUC is concerned that is code that workers’ rights, such as the working time directive and agency workers’ directive, will be axed if we leave the EU.

Launching Labour In today, Mr Johnson said: “The trade unions are right to warn the Prime Minister that if he opts this country out of regulations protecting British workers he runs an even bigger risk of losing the referendum.

"The social dimension needs to be enhanced not diminished."

But he added: "The only way to restore any rights the Tories opt out of is to get rid of this Government and opt back in

“There is no progressive case for leaving the EU."

The Prime Minister met European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on the sidelines of climate talks in Paris last night to press the case for his demands.

EU refuseniks

Austin, Ian (Dudley North)Campbell, Ronnie (Blyth Valley)
Cryer, John (Leyton and Wanstead),  
Engel, Natascha (North East Derbyshire)
Field, Frank (Birkenhead)Godsiff, Roger (Birmingham, Hall Green)
Hoey, Kate (Vauxhall)Hopkins, Kelvin (Luton North)
Hoyle, Lindsay (Chorley) Lavery, Ian (Wansbeck), Mahmood, Khalid (Birmingham, Perry Barr)Mann, John (Bassetlaw)Morris, Grahame (Easington)
Skinner, Dennis (Bolsover)Spellar, John (Warley)Stringer, Graham (Blackley and Broughton)
Stuart, Gisela (Birmingham, Edgbaston)