Meanwhile former shadow cabinent member Seema Malhotra said aides of Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell twice made “unauthorised” entries into her locked Commons’ office.
Advertisement
Momentum said it had cancelled the contract for the T-shirts suggesting that it may have been misled by one of its suppliers in relation to labour practices at the factory.
In comments that will intensify the row over bullying and intimidation within Labour, Mr McDonnell accused Seema Malhotra, who resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, of picking on his staff and making them fear for their jobs.
Two aides visited her office twice in 48 hours, it was claimed.
Ms Malhotra’s staff say that Mr Corbyn’s team knew that they were still waiting to be relocated by the Whip’s office and had offered to swap offices with the new shadow minister, but this had been turned down.
Miss Malhotra, the MP for Feltham and Heston, told The Observer: ‘The implications of this are extremely serious.
“Furthermore, my staff… have felt harassed, intimidated and insecure and decided themselves it would be best to not leave anyone alone in the office”. This is a breach of parliamentary privilege and is a violation of the privacy, security and confidentiality of a member of parliament’s office.
MPs’ offices can only be entered without their consent by police who obtain a search warrant.
Jeremy Corbyn is to rally his supporters with a call for a new wave of grassroots activism to propel Labour to victory at the next general election. That’s just so distressing, it’s unacceptable.
John McDonnell has used a TV appearance to make a direct appeal for an end to the bitter infighting that threatens to split the Labour Party.
Mr Corbyn insisted he was not a bully and said he was “disappointed” at the claims made against him, which included a suggestion he had threatened to ring the father of a critical MP in order to put pressure on him.
Mr Dugher said: “I’m convinced (Mrs May) won’t make the same mistake as Brown”. I don’t know what’s going on.
But with the rift between leadership and the party’s MPs showing no signs of ending, Mr McDonnell acknowledged that there would have to be some form of mediation once the current leadership contest is over.
Having resigned from her post the day after the European Union referendum result she applied immediately to be moved. My office manager has already apologised – we’ve got to stop this, we can’t destroy our party, we’ve got to unite.
Labour MP Graham Jones called the appearance a “train wreck”.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said accusations Karie Murphy – the Labour leader’s office manager – had intimidated anyone were “untrue”.
‘As an office manager on the Leader of the Opposition’s floor, Karie has a key to open all offices.
Over the past few weeks MPs have spoken frequently of online abuse and intimidation from members while Ms Eagle had a brick thrown through her constituency office window in Wallasey, Merseyside.
Advertisement
Ms Malhotra, former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “The reason why we’re so concerned is because this was done without our knowledge, without our permission”.
