Labour’s civil war gets even nastier

LABOUR moderates who refuse to back Jeremy Corbyn’s position on Russia are his ‘political enemies’, one of his close allies has said.

Hard-Left Labour MP Chris Williamson suggested that colleagues who blamed Moscow for the Salisbury assassination plot should be stripped of their seats.

The former frontbencher’s comments poured petrol on the bitter internal row over how to respond to the nerve agent attack on Russian ex- spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Theresa May has insisted there is ‘no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable’.

But Mr Corbyn has suggested the Russian mafia could be to blame and claimed he is the victim of a ‘McCarthyite witch-hunt’.

The Labour leader’s comments have sparked a furious backlash from his own MPs and put him at odds with several senior members of his own front bench.

His Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer and defence spokesman Nia Griffith have both said they agree with Mrs May that Russia is responsible for the attack – and so have several backbenchers.

At a meeting of pro-Corbyn campaign group Momentum in West London on Thursday night, Mr Williamson attacked MPs who signed a petition in Parliament saying they ‘unequivocally’ accept Russia is responsible.

At least 22 Labour MPs backed the motion by John Woodcock, who is chair of Labour’s backbench foreign affairs committee.

Mr Williamson, who was sacked as shadow fire minister last year after calling for council tax to be doubled on the most expensive homes, said it was ‘far from certain’ that the Kremlin was to blame.

Praising Mr Corbyn, he said: ‘It’s exactly the sort of response you want from a leader.

‘It would definitely be helpful, I think, for our own people on the green benches to actually fall in behind the leader’s very statesmanlike and measured response… [doing otherwise] only helps our political enemies. But frankly I see them as political enemies as well.’

Singling out two prominent critics of Mr Corbyn, backbenchers John Woodcock and Ian Austin, he said he would be ‘quite happy if some of them buggered off’.

However, on Question Time on Thursday night, Sir Keir said No 10 was right to hit back at Russia, which he said was behind the attack ‘no ifs, no buts’.

‘The Prime Minister asked serious questions of Russia earlier this week... and no answers have been given,’ he said.

‘And that led her to the conclusion that there is no alternative explanation, other than that responsibility lies with Russia.

‘I think it’s very important that we support the action the Prime Minister laid out on Wednesday.’

In messages posted on Twitter, supporters of Mr Corbyn also demanded MPs be deselected for opposing him.

One Corbyn supporter called on Momentum chairman Jon Lansman to purge the MPs and published a list of names including Wes Streeting, Chuka Umunna, Stella Creasy, Mike Gapes, Neil Coyle and Anna Turley.

The Twitter user ‘Scouser Lar’ then sent a message to Mr Umunna saying: ‘The majority of members will back Corbyn over you [sic] shower of careering red Tories. I can’t wait until you lot are deselected.’

Paul James, a Labour member in Mr Woodcock’s Barrow and Furness seat, branded the MP ‘an utter embarrassment’.

He tweeted: ‘I want you to know how badly you have let yourself and the party down.’

Meanwhile the local Momentum group in Miss Turley’s Redcar constituency denounced her decision to sign the motion.

It tweeted: ‘Take a look at this excellent, strong, measured statement from Jeremy Corbyn – was always going to be misrepresented by Theresa May and billionaire tax dodging press barons, but sad to see, unfortunately, it appears to be by some of our backbenchers.’