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Rebel MP claims party leadership raided her office

The Rotherham MP was among scores of frontbenchers to resign during a revolt against Mr Corbyn, but has been reinstated after asking for her old job back.

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Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of allowing a “culture of bullying” to take hold within Labour and was compared to Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley by his leadership rival.

In a series of critical tweets, she slammed the embattled leader for ignoring an overwhelming vote of no confidence, said Labour MPs “won’t unite behind him” and under him the Party “can’t be an effective opposition”.

His comments are likely to inflame the tensions within the party after Mr Corbyn faced an overwhelming vote of no confidence by MPs, and a mass walk-out by the shadow cabinet, in the wake of last month’s European Union referendum vote.

Labour councillors are backing Owen Smith in the party’s leadership election – but think incumbent Jeremy Corbyn will win the race, says research by Anglia Ruskin University.

And a spokesman for Mr Corbyn played down the incident and said claims of intimidation are “untrue”.

“She is very passionate about her brief and we have got a job to do opposing the Government and obviously we are very pleased to be welcoming her back”, they said.

The embattled Labour leader faces a challenge to his position from former shadow cabinet minister Owen Smith.

A source later said the suggestion had seemingly been made to Labour whips by one of Corbyn’s senior staff members, at the instigation of the Labour leader, rather than by Corbyn directly.

Mr McGinn said Mr Corbyn had initially asked for his resignation and considered sacking him for the comments but he later learned that the Labour leader had threatened to call his father.

Speaking on Saturday, Mr Corbyn condemned abuse among members, saying “it has no place in our party”.

“I have made a formal complaint to the Speaker of the Commons and to Corbyn, and requested an investigation into how this could have happened”, the statement added.

Ms Malhotra said the unauthorised entry by staff into her office constituted a serious breach of parliamentary privilege.

“Furthermore, my staff, including an intern, who have always been courteous and open, have felt harassed, intimidated and insecure”.

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In his article, McGinn said he was on a parliamentary trip to Washington in May when he learned that Corbyn was annoyed about an interview he had given in which he discussed the party’s disconnect with working-class communities. “I know some people are angry at the actions of some MPs but where we have disagreement in the Labour Party we settle it through democratic means – not coups, not intimidation, and not abuse”.

St Helens MP Conor Mc Ginn has accused Jeremy Corbyn of bulling