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Labour MP Seema Malhotra accuses Jeremy Corbyn aide over office entry Labour MP: Office security 'breached' by leaders' staff
(about 9 hours later)
A former Labour shadow cabinet minister has accused an aide to leader Jeremy Corbyn of entering her parliamentary office without permission. A new Labour row has broken out over a formal complaint that an ex-shadow cabinet minister's office was accessed without her permission.
Seema Malhotra formally complained to Commons Speaker John Bercow, saying the "privacy, security and confidentiality" of her MP's office had been violated. Seema Malhotra has written to the Commons Speaker, saying the "privacy, security and confidentiality" of her Westminster office was violated.
She also said her staff had felt "harassed, intimidated and insecure". Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said his office manager thought the premises were no longer occupied.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said an aide had been checking when the office would be vacated, and denied intimidation. He accused Mr Corbyn's critics of picking on members of staff.
Ms Malhotra resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury last month in protest at Mr Corbyn's leadership and is now backing leadership challenger Owen Smith. Mr McDonnell said he hoped Labour's leadership contest - which pits Owen Smith against Mr Corbyn - would "heal some of the wounds" in the divided party.
Formal complaint BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said the latest spat over Ms Malhotra's office mattered because it played into the wider row about claims of intimidation in the party's ranks.
In a statement, Ms Malhotra said staff working for Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell had gained "unauthorised entry into my office in parliament". It comes after more than 40 female Labour MPs wrote to Mr Corbyn, saying he had failed to do enough to prevent "disgusting" threats against members.
The MP for Feltham and Heston described several incidents when people from the leader's office used digital keys to open the office door. Ms Malhotra, who resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury last month in protest at Mr Corbyn's leadership, said there had been unauthorised access to her office "on more than one occasion".
"The implications of this are extremely serious," she said. She said she had "no idea" who went in and why, saying the incident raised "fundamental questions" about the "security and safety" of her staff.
"This is a breach of parliamentary privilege and is a violation of the privacy, security and confidentiality of a member of parliament's office. In her letter to Commons Speaker John Bercow, she said her staff had felt "harassed, intimidated and insecure".
"Furthermore, my staff, including an intern, who have always been courteous and open, have felt harassed, intimidated and insecure and decided themselves it would be best to not leave anyone alone in the office." Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr McDonnell - who had been Ms Malhotra's boss in Labour's Treasury team - said his office manager had spotted a pile of boxes outside her office a month after she resigned and assumed that office was empty.
She has complained to Mr Bercow and to Mr Corbyn and called for a formal investigation. He said the member of staff, who was worried about losing her job, had apologised to Ms Malhotra's team and that he had not been told before the formal complaint to Mr Bercow was lodged.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said accusations Karie Murphy - the Labour leader's office manager - had intimidated anyone were "untrue". Turning directly to the camera in his BBC interview, he appealed to the party to "stop this now".
He said Ms Murphy had been checking to see if the office had been vacated by Ms Malhotra following her resignation. "There's a small group out there that are willing to destroy our party just to remove Jeremy Corbyn," he said.
"As an office manager on the leader of the opposition's floor, Karie has a key to open all offices. She accessed the office in question to confirm when it would be vacated. It was "fine" for them to target the leadership, he said, "but don't pick on staff who can't defend themselves".
"It is a month since Seema Malhotra resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and the office is intended for the person holding that position." Mr McDonnell predicted that Labour MPs would accept the result if Mr Corbyn retained the leadership, saying most of them "just want to get on with the job".
BBC political correspondent Carol Walker said the incident was "another extraordinary twist in Labour's increasingly bitter internal battle". He also acknowledged he and Mr Corbyn had made mistakes in their Labour leadership and said they would resign if Labour lost the next general election.
The complaint comes after more than 40 female Labour MPs wrote to Mr Corbyn saying he had failed to do enough to prevent "disgusting" threats against members. Ms Malhotra's replacement as shadow chief secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, told Sky News staff had been planning to swap their offices and thought Ms Malhotra had already vacated hers.
The group of female MPs - including former shadow ministers Heidi Alexander, Paula Sherriff and Kerry McCarthy - say intimidation has been carried out in Mr Corbyn's name. On realising Ms Malhotra was still based there, the member of staff "walked straight back out of the office again and left", Ms Long-Bailey said.
She added: "Unfortunately there has been a bit of miscommunication and misunderstanding on both sides."
Speaking on Saturday, Mr Corbyn condemned abuse among members, saying "it has no place in our party".Speaking on Saturday, Mr Corbyn condemned abuse among members, saying "it has no place in our party".
He said: "I don't do personal abuse, I don't respond to personal abuse, I condemn any abuse from others."He said: "I don't do personal abuse, I don't respond to personal abuse, I condemn any abuse from others."
'Absolutely unacceptable' Mr Smith - the former shadow work and pensions secretary - said the party was on "its knees" and could split if Mr Corbyn remained at the helm.
Meanwhile, leadership rival Mr Smith said his wife, Liz, had been a victim of online abuse and claimed there was now a level of abuse, anti-Semitism and misogyny in Labour that was not there before Mr Corbyn became leader. He told Sky News: "We are not looking at the moment like a government-in-waiting. We don't look like a credible powerful opposition, one that people could imagine running the country. I think that's what we've got to be."
Mr Smith has also said his wife, Liz, had been a victim of online abuse and claimed there was now a level of abuse, anti-Semitism and misogyny in Labour that was not there before Mr Corbyn became leader.
"My wife stood recently for a community councillor position in the village where we live in South Wales and was subject to a torrent of online abuse. It's a community council position.""My wife stood recently for a community councillor position in the village where we live in South Wales and was subject to a torrent of online abuse. It's a community council position."
He added: "I think it's just absolutely unacceptable."He added: "I think it's just absolutely unacceptable."
Mr Corbyn is facing a challenge from the former shadow work and pensions secretary, after Labour MPs overwhelmingly backed a motion of no-confidence in their leader.
The winner of the leadership contest will be announced on 24 September.The winner of the leadership contest will be announced on 24 September.