Tom Watson has expressed concerns that Labour Party staff are being "publicly attacked and undermined" by allies of Jeremy Corbyn.

The party's deputy leader tweeted his support for a letter signed by more than 150 former staff, slamming behaviour towards current staff as "intolerable".

While the letter is not linked to a leadership campaign and contains no names, it quotes reports of reprisals by Mr Corbyn's supporters against back office staff who have not backed him.

Image: Margaret Beckett has warned Mr Corbyn against allowing 'bullying and spite'

A senior Corbyn ally last week claimed if he is re-elected as leader next month as expected, a "clear out" of the party's central London headquarters would follow.

The frontbencher told a newspaper there was "open warfare" between the leader's office in Parliament and the party's office a short walk away in Victoria Street.


Much of the anger from Corbyn supporters has been aimed at party general secretary Iain McNicol - who has been blamed for a decision to exclude members who joined since January this year from voting in the leadership contest.

The move was approved by a majority of the party's 33-member National Executive Committee (NEC), but an online petition to "sack" Mr McNicol has attracted thousands of signatures.

In a letter to the Guardian on Friday, dozens of retired and former staff say: "We object in the strongest possible terms to the way in which current party staff are being publicly attacked by some senior members and their supporters.

"To hear members of the Labour party attack their own employees is depressing; to hear talk about 'clearing them out' is unacceptable; to hear such statements from the most senior level is intolerable."

Mr Watson tweeted: "As a former staff member I would like to sign this letter as well."

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The signatories, including Tony Blair's spin doctors Alistair Campbell and Anji Hunter and former regional director Nan Sloane, call on all members of the party - regardless of their view on the leadership election - to "treat their staff as they themselves would expect to be treated by their own employers".

They added: "Labour party staff are hard-working, dedicated individuals committed to the party and its objectives.

"They work long hours and are often required to spend weeks or even months away from home on particular campaigns. Some are on limited-term contracts with little job security.

"The nature of these jobs means that they are often required to implement unpopular or difficult national decisions in an organisation that is almost entirely voluntary and in which different views and opinions are strongly held.

"Despite this, staff remain completely loyal to the party and to their employers, and the least they are entitled to expect is some loyalty and respect in return."

The letter goes on: "We were proud to work for the Labour party, and we are equally proud of those who have followed us. They deserve better than to be publicly attacked and undermined."

Anonymous briefings against party staff prompted former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett to warn Mr Corbyn directly this week against allowing "bullying and spite" to be aimed at workers.

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Her intervention followed the party's victory in the High Court against Corbyn supporters who wanted to overturn the voting deadline.

Judges upheld an appeal by the NEC to decide who is eligible to vote for the next leader.

Shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said lawyers had used "a grubby little device" to win the appeal.

Mrs Beckett said: "It does seem to me that there is a risk of people around Jeremy and perhaps Jeremy himself, thinking that what matters is: 'does he get the decision he wants' not 'is this what's right in law'."

The boss of the Unison trade union Dave Prentis also spoke out last week to say Labour looked like "the nasty party" and called for bullying to stop.

He warned that MPs, councillors and ordinary members faced "daily hostility" for the views they hold.