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Labour staff have written directly to Jeremy Corbyn to demand he take urgent action to tackle allegations that party staff are being sexually harassed.

The letter, signed by 101 current and former staff members of both Labour MPs and the party centrally, demands that Jeremy Corbyn “get our house in order”.

It comes after The Sunday Times reported that his office had stepped in to block the suspension of an advisor David Prescott in November 2017, following accusations of sexual harassment which are denied.

The letter says the party must urgently ensure that complaints are dealt with "clarity, consistency and transparency."

The letter continues demanding that Mr Corbyn offer up “urgent clarification” of the claims about Mr Prescott.

A friend of Mr Prescott, who works for Mr Corbyn and is the son of former deputy prime minister John Prescott, told the Sunday Times that he strenuously denied any wrongdoing and that a formal complaint was never submitted.

(Image: PA)

Mr Prescott was suspended from work awaiting the submission of the complaint but later returned to his role.

One of the letter's signatories told the Mirror that the failure to act to in general highlighted how little the party had learned from other high profile cases about the treatment of women.

The ex-party staffer added: "We have seen women across the world stand up and demand that their claims be taken seriously and that powerful men are held accountable for their actions.

"To be brutally honest inside the Labour Party this doesn't happen - and whataboutery just doesn't cut it.

"If we are the party of social justice, and of equality, more needs to be done and now."

In November 2017 a female MP made allegations to Mr Corbyn and Karie Murphy, his chief of staff, that Mr Prescott had made “unwarranted sexual advances” and further allegations made by two female students, the Sunday Times reported.

But despite senior staff recommending his suspension Mr Corbyn's chief of staff Karie Murphy reportedly stepped in claiming the party hadn't seen evidence to support suspending the aide.

The letter to Mr Corbyn reads: “Working in politics isn’t easy, and many of us choose to give up our personal lives for Labour because we believe it is the best force for good in our country. What makes the job even more challenging than it should be is having to work in an environment where sexual harassment and bullying are not taken seriously.

“Reports in the Sunday Times over the weekend alleged that senior staff in the Leader’s Office apparently blocked efforts to suspend David Prescott, who is reported to have been accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct.

"These reports are extremely concerning, if true. The Labour Party prides itself, among many other things, on campaigning for the complete eradication of sexual misconduct in all parts of society — unequivocally and without exception.

"We request urgent clarification as to whether the account in the Sunday Times is correct, and if so, why senior party staff decided not to take sufficient action against Mr Prescott.

"Clarity, consistency and transparency must be put at the forefront of the complaints process so that all sides feel confident that investigations will be conducted free from political interference.

"The perception can no longer be that your connections within the party will determine whether complaints against you will be pursued or not.

“We want to see Labour in government, but we need to get our house in order first. We should, and can, lead the way in challenging and eradicating sexual harassment and bullying in work environments.

"The decision to write this letter does not come easily, but believing in a political party sometimes means having to ask uncomfortable questions.”

After the reports a Labour spokesman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of sexual harassment extremely seriously. In this case, no formal complaint was received to investigate.

“We do not comment on individual staffing matters. As an employer, the Labour Party takes disciplinary and grievance matters extremely seriously and follows protocol as directed by the Acas code of practice.”