Fresh Labour infighting as shadow cabinet minister forced to quit over bullying allegations

Darren Staples/Reuters

Debbie Abrahams MP.

• Labour's Debbie Abrahams is told to quit the shadow cabinet over bullying allegations.
• The undisclosed allegations are being investigated by the party.
• Abrahams has denied all allegations and accused "certain individuals" in Jeremy Corbyn's office of bullying her.

LONDON - The Labour party descended into a fresh bout of infighting on Sunday evening as Debbie Abrahams was told to leave the shadow cabinet following allegations of bullying.

The party said Abrahams had agreed to stand aside as shadow work and pensions secretary while an "employment issue" is investigated by the top of the party.

The allegations against Abhramas are yet to be detailed. They are thought to relate to a number of complaints, some relating to bullying, The Guardian reports.

The allegations come a week after three male MPs, including House Speaker John Bercow, were accused of bullying by parliamentary clerks in a BBC Newsnight investigation.

Abrahams denies allegations of bullying "in the strongest possible terms" and has made clear she has not agreed to formally resign from her post.

"I have had no details about the complaint, who it is from, the process or timescales. I have not agreed to stand aside," she said.

"I will fight this spurious claim and do not rule out taking legal action," she added.

Abrahams said "certain individuals in the leader's office" have subjected her to "aggressive, intimidating and wholly unprofessional" treatment over the past 10 months.

She added: "My treatment in the last week has shown a bullying culture of the worst kind... As such I am making a formal complaint to both the Labour party and parliamentary authorities."

Margaret Greenwood, the MP for Wirral West, will fill the vacant shadow work and pensions secretary position while an investigation takes place into the allegations against Abrahams.