Anti-corbyn MPS face being purged, warns Labour chairman

Ian Lavery hints at threat to moderates in move that could speed up plans to launch centrist party

LABOUR was in chaos last night after its chairman warned moderate MPS might be purged in a move that could accelerate plans for a new party.

Ian Lavery, who was in charge of Labour’s election campaign, hinted that MPS could be de-selected if they did not agree with Jeremy Corbyn’s plans, adding that none had “a divine right” to serve under the Labour leader.

Rumours that senior MPS are working behind the scenes to build a new movement that would be seen as a more centrist version of Labour were circulating amid the chaos. Supporters are reportedly speaking to donors in a bid to build up a war chest to split Labour and move away from the hardleft supporters of the current leader.

Mr Lavery suggested Labour could draw up plans to give members more

power over who is selected as an MP, Post, Mr Lavery said: “We are a broad allowing hard-left supporters greater church. Some might argue, and I would control over what the parliamentary be one of them, that we might be too party looks like. Mr Corbyn has suffered broad a church. Being an MP, I haven’t opposition from within his own got the divine right to be an MP for party and last week Chuka Umunna, a Wansbeck. I’ve got to work very hard former rising star, tabled an amendment on behalf of every single member of on Brexit that prompted almost that constituency.”

50 Labour MPS to rebel. But Jon Ashworth, the shadow The leader sacked three of his closest health secretary, distanced himself shadow cabinet colleagues as a result, from the remarks. Speaking to the but the split has opened up a fresh BBC’S Andrew Marr, he said that debate in the party about how Mr Corbyn Labour had always had different opinions, maintains discipline and whether “but we should remember that the two sides are able to reconcile their we are a united party now”.

differences. Speaking to the Huffington He added: “Nobody is going to be challenging Jeremy, we’re not going to have the turmoil we’ve seen in recent years. The turmoil in British politics is now in the Conservative Party.”

The comments follow a turbulent week for Mr Corbyn, who was faced with a rebellion over his position on Brexit. Many so-called moderate MPS feel the leader has not done enough to challenge Theresa May’s position on leaving the EU and are concerned that Mr Corbyn supports a hard Brexit.

Asked a number of times whether Labour wanted to end freedom of movement, Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, failed to answer yesterday, while Stella Creasy called on the party to keep all options on the table rather than rule out single market membership, as Mr Corbyn has done.

Owen Smith, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary who backed holding a second EU referendum, said he still believed Brexit was “a bad decision”.

He added he believed it would be shown the Government could not deliver on its promise to retain the benefits of the single market and customs union. “At that point, I think the country may well find itself looking down the barrel of a Brexit that is going to leave us worse off,” he said.