Leonard says Conservatives are main winners following a day when splits wrecked opposition

The MPs savaged what they branded Corbyn’s lack of action to stop both Brexit and anti-Semitism.

Berger, who is Jewish, said she was “embarrassed and ashamed” to remain in the Labour party, which she claimed has become “institutionally anti-Semitic” and ridden with a “culture of bullying, bigotry and intimidation”.

Dugdale quit as Scottish Labour leader in August 2017 amid rumours Corbyn supporters north of the Border were planning to topple her. Addressing the seven resignations at a prearranged press conference in Edinburgh to drum up support for a second EU referendum, she said: “What I see is seven individuals at their wits’ end, all with their individual reasons as to why they are leaving.

“I know that they’ll all be doing it with a great sense of sadness and regret.

“When you hear someone like Luciana Berger talk about anti-Semitism in the party, you can’t help but be sad about the experience that she’s had and it’s deeply regrettable.”

Asked how the leadership should respond, she said: “With a soft tone, an understanding tone, a recognition of the multitude of reasons why people are saying what they’re saying.

“I think we’ve got to warn against any idea that the leadership should say, ‘Good riddance to them’. I think it’s a very sad day.”

Murray, who was the only Labour MP in Scotland between 2015 and 2017, was more critical of the Corbyn regime.

He said: “The current Labour leadership is breaking the broad church that this party once built its electoral success upon – a broad church which delivered Labour governments that lifted millions of people out of poverty.

“The challenge now is for Jeremy Corbyn to listen and learn, and decide if he wants to keep the Labour Party together or if he will continue to foster a culture of bullying and intolerance where his own MPs feel unwelcome and are being forced out.

“That means listening to members who are demanding we give people the opportunity to remain in the EU in line with party policy, and learning from the distressing experiences of people like Luciana Berger so that such vile hatred and intolerance can never again be found in our movement.”

In a statement, Leonard did not hold out any olive branches to his former colleagues. He expressed “disappointment” about the seven MPs’ decision to quit but made no mention of either Brexit or anti-Semitism.

Leonard said: “Today’s events will simply mean that we will all redouble our efforts to achieve a better and more equal society based on those lasting values. The manifesto all

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford seized on the Labour divisions to make the case for independence.

He said: “Labour are not fit for purpose – they are failing as an opposition, failing over Brexit and failing their own MPs. If even his own MPs can’t trust Jeremy Corbyn then why should the people of Scotland?

“Ultimately this split will strengthen Theresa May and make it even more likely that the Tories stay in power through Brexit and beyond.

“Westminster is now completely dysfunctional, with warring factions on both sides of the House more interested in their own bitter disputes than the future of the country.

“It is increasingly obvious that decisions about Scotland need to be taken here in Scotland and not at Westminster.”

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie welcomed the split and suggested he would be happy to work with Labour moderates unhappy with the direction of the party.

He said: “This is a damning condemnation of what Labour has become and a compelling positive case for change.”

MP IAN MURRAY ON ISSUES FACING THE LABOUR LEADER