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Ed Miliband: Labour should focus on fighting the Tories

Former shadow cabinet ministers Emma Reynolds, Tristram Hunt and Caroline Flint were among those to warn Corbyn not to attend the event, with Reynolds describing the group as “more anti-west than anti-war”.

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It also claims deselection of local politicians “is not a priority” for members, and that all they want is to secure decent homes and income for families, and to push for an end to conflict.

It is becoming abundantly clear that the idea that air-strikes will destroy ISIS while they are selling to oil to Turkey and are funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar is ludicrous, and to exploit the memory of those who gave their lives to fight fascism in Spain and in WW2 is a misinterpretation of both events and an insult to those involved in both conflicts.

After the meeting, Ms Phillips was talking to Mr Corbyn when Ms Abbott burst in to condemned her “sanctimonious” question and told her: ‘You are not the only feminist in the PLP’.

He told Today: “We need to move on from what are essentially tittle tattle and smears”.

“What Momentum is looking for is not hard”.

One person surprised to receive a card from the Camerons was journalist Isabel Oakeshott – who co-authored with Lord Ashcroft the controversial Call Me Dave biography of the PM.

Birmingham MP Jess Phillips has said she would like to become Labour leader – if it would make her party more popular with voters. “That’s where it started and that’s how it got into Syria, so let’s not pretend this has got nothing to do with Western intervention”.

“If that’s making Jeremy better I’ll roll my sleeves up”.

On the issue of deselection, he said it is “not really something that’s a priority at the moment”, adding: “I just want Ben Bradshaw to understand that many of his constituents do not support the war”.

Corbyn served as chairman of the organisation until earlier this year and was greeted by a standing ovation when he turned up at the anti-war group’s £50-a-ticket Christmas party in central London on Friday night.

“We think there’s no other justification for it at all”.

Despite these assurances, there are still many within Labour who have their doubts about the movement.

Recipients are said to include Angela Eagle, shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle, shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander, shadow minister for young people Gloria De Piero, former deputy leader Harriet Harman and former home secretary Alan Johnson.

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Stop the War’s Chris Nineham said the group’s leadership had “distanced themselves” from the blog posts on Paris and the worldwide brigade comparison. “We already have the Labour Party and a very good one in Exeter”, he said.

London protesters oppose UK airstrikes on IS in Syria