Shadow minister accused of bullying is suspended

LABOUR was rocked last night as one of Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench team was suspended over claims she bullied staff members.

But Debbie Abrahams claimed she herself had been the victim of a campaign of aggression and intimidation waged by the Labour leader’s office.

The party’s work and pensions spokesman also threatened to take legal action against her accusers.

Mrs Abrahams, 57, was suspended after the party received a number of complaints about her behaviour.

A Labour spokesman said: ‘Debbie Abrahams has stood aside from her frontbench role while the party investigates an employment issue.

‘Margaret Greenwood will act up as Shadow Secretary of State

‘Bullying culture of worst kind’

for Work and Pensions during this period.’

But Mrs Abrahams denied she had agreed to step aside and said there was ‘a bullying culture of the worst kind’ at the top.

She said: ‘I refute the allegations made against me in the strongest possible terms.’

The row comes as there is mounting pressure on John Bercow to stand down as Commons Speaker after he was also accused of bullying staff.

Critics of Mr Bercow will today begin collecting signatures of MPs for a motion of no confidence amid speculation he could choose to step down to prevent the growing crisis hindering his chances of a peerage.

Mr Bercow faces accusations his private secretary quit and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after nine months working in his office. Another senior official left after it was claimed Mr Bercow told him to ‘f*** off’.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘The only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to him or her.’