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John McDonnell has insisted that Labour remains committed to stopping Theresa May ’s deal amid fears the party leadership could be willing to facilitate a Tory Brexit .

The shadow chancellor dismissed as “complete rubbish” claims that he and Jeremy Corbyn were relaxed about the plan passing so they could then focus on domestic issues.

In an interview with the Mirror, he declared both Mrs May’s deal and No Deal would be an “absolute disaster” for the country. But he confirmed he would back Brexit if Labour ’s plan was on the table.

“May’s deal would be an absolute disaster and no deal would be catastrophic. We will fight to the last to prevent May’s deal and to prevent no deal,” he said.

(Image: Getty Images)

“We have to go back to our constituencies and if May’s deal goes through we will have our constituents losing their jobs and their livelihoods undermined... We want the Labour deal to go through.”

Labour said at the weekend it would not push for a vote on a second referendum this week, even if Mrs May’s deal is defeated. Campaigners believe their best chance of success is leaving it as late as possible.

Mr McDonnell confirmed that when it does take place, Labour MPs would be whipped to vote in favour.

However, with dozens of Labour MPs Labour thought to have problems with a public vote, he hinted they would not be sanctioned for voting against.

“We need to respect people’s views on this,” he said.

Ahead of Labour deputy leader Tom Watson held a packed meeting of Labour centrists in what has been described as a ‘party within a party’, Mr McDonnell claimed the leadership was relaxed about the grouping.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

“If Tom is forming another group that’s fine, if it’s part of that democratic process, that’s fine, there’s numerous groups,” he said.

“What will happen is as all of those groups undertake discussions about policy sometimes publish reports and we take them into account.”

And in the wake of online attacks against high profile women Labour MPs, he said the party had to challenge abusive behaviour wherever it found it. “We’re a broad church and that includes me and Tony Blair ,” he said.

“There shouldn’t be any vitriol. The point that Jeremy keeps making is that we’ve got to communicate with each other and treat each other with respect and that’s got to be the message that goes out time and time again.”

Mr McDonnell, the Labour leader’s closest political ally, said that supporters should not be concerned about Mr Corbyn lagging behind in the polls.

“It was like that before the last general election and we were 24 points behind and I said as soon as we get into a general election and through the law we get a semblance of balanced coverage, you’ll see what our policy is about and you’ll see what we’re like. I think we’re going to be in that same situation.”

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Amid growing frustration over the party’s failure to get to grips with the anti-semitism crisis, Mr McDonnell said he found the allegations “distressing”.

He added: “We haven’t been quick enough and sometimes we haven’t been ruthless enough”.

And he slapped down suspended Labour’s Chris Williamson, insisting Labour could never - as the Derby MP had suggested - be too apologetic about anti-semitism. “No. If there’s any form of anti-semitism within the party it has to be rooted out. Full stop.”

Ahead of the spring statement, he slammed the Tories for “callour complacency” and predicted the statement would not bring about an end to austerity.

In a speech on Monday, Mr McDonnell then claimed Philip Hammond’s “cowardice” over Brexit was to blame for Britain’s gloomy economic forecasts, accusing his Tory opposite number of “abdicating his responsibility” as chancellor to protect the economy.

“If Brexit ends up leading to even half of what the Government’s own forecasts suggest could happen, I think history will judge harshly the few who could have prevented and averted this potential disaster and did so little,” he said.

“And whatever happens with Brexit, that’s damage to people’s lives that cannot be undone.”