Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is backing down on his “captain’s call” to repeal already-legislated company tax cuts.

Mr Shorten’s initial decision to cut tax relief for businesses with a turnover between $10 million and $50 million sparked backlash from his colleagues.

The Labor leader now says he’s taken that feedback on board and has changed his position.

Opposition leader @billshortenmp is pledging to keep tax relief in place for businesses with a turnover between $10 million and $50 million, backflipping on earlier plans to repeal the tax cuts if elected. @2GB873 @3AW693 @NewsTalk4BC @6PR @MacquarieSport pic.twitter.com/IXPWFNjESS

— Matthew Karstunen (@MKarstunen) June 29, 2018

Former Labor politician and one half of The Big Guns, Graham Richardson, tells Ben Fordham if Mr Shorten hadn’t retracted the call his party would struggle for success in the upcoming Longman by-election.

“Obviously it’s humiliating. But I’d much rather he’d be humiliated now than try and fight this battle all the way to the Longman by-election.

“You’d think he’d be reluctant to open up another front to be attacked upon, but sure enough he blundered in and now he’s blundered out.”

Click PLAY below to hear from Graham Richardson