In the immediate aftermath of the vote, which saw 66 MPs defy Mr Corbyn to back David Cameron’s plans for military action, Labour Unity, a hard-left organisation linked to the party leader, released a “traitor list” of backbenchers who should be targeted for de-selection.
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The organisation – the successor group to Mr Corbyn’s leadership campaign – had little impact on Labour, he said.
Mr Corbyn opposed air strikes while Mr Watson backed the action against Islamic State (IS) after the leader allowed his party a free vote on the issue after being unable to agree on a common position.
In advance of last night’s by-election in Oldham, where Labour increased its share of the vote, Momentum last weekend organised free buses for activists to the constituency, bringing hundreds of people from across the United Kingdom to campaign for Labour’s candidate.
But a spokesman for Mr Corbyn made clear that he would ignore the demands, praising Stop the War’s record in opposing British military intervention saying its protests were “at the heart of democracy”.
“There is abuse on both sides and it needs to stop”, he said.
Chief whip Rosie Winterton, shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle, shadow culture secretary Michael Dugher and shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Vernon Coaker are among the figures reportedly who could be vulnerable if Mr Corbyn does move against the dissenters.
Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Neil Coyle received an apology after he alerted police to a death threat on Twitter which had left him anxious for his wife, staff and volunteers.
Mr McDonnell insisted the party would not tolerate such behaviour but at the same time he rebuked those who sought to “make mischief” by “misreporting or misrepresenting” what was happening.
With the Labour party in the United Kingdom now in crisis following the split over the decision to bomb Syria, Hilary Benn has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Jeremy Corbyn.
Shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy – who voted with Mr Corbyn on Syria – wanted against a shadow cabinet purge.
“To use an issue of such importance to try to divide the Labour party is reprehensible”, Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson told BBC radio Friday, adding that anyone intimidating MPs or their staff “should be removed from the party”.
Lord Hain, the former MP for Neath, said of the abuse meted out to MPs: “I think its outrageous, and it’s so at odds with Labour’s values which are about mutual care, support, respect, tolerance and freedom. It was a decisive victory with our share of the vote going up”.
Mr Bryant said it was “up to Jeremy to decide who is on his frontbench, and I’m not going to tell him who should or shouldn’t be there”, but insisted Labour was a broad church today.
While Salmond’s comments were widely condemned by members of Labour – including Tony Benn’s own granddaughter Emily, the party may need to address a similar personal attack on Benn which is closer to home.
Mr Watson also turned his fire on Labour MPs who had gone “too far” in their public criticism of Mr Corbyn.
Mr Watson rejected suggestions that he was himself angling to replace Mr Corbyn as leader. They are a bit of an irrelevance in this debate.
It follows Labour’s victory in the Oldham West and Royton by-election, where the party won with a majority of more than 10,000 – despite predictions that voters would turn away from Labour because they didn’t like Mr Corbyn.
Momentum organiser Adam Klug said the group would “absolutely condemn” any trolling, bullying or harassing behaviour.
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He told Sky News: “There is no point having policies if the politicians elected to carry out those policies don’t do that … that’s the debate that I think needs to be had”.
