Chi Onwurah, the shadow minister for culture and the digital economy, has suggested Jeremy Corbyn could be guilty of racial discrimination, in the latest attack by a senior Labour MP on his leadership.

In an article for the New Statesman, Onwurah claimed that part of her portfolio was handed over to another MP, Thangam Debbonaire, in Corbyn’s contentious January reshuffle, and that “when he realised what he had done, he gave the role back to me without telling Thangam”.

She added: “Jeremy then went on for the next two months refusing my insistence that he speak to Thangam, indeed refusing to speak to either of us, whether directly or through the shadow cabinet, the whips, or his own office. No one knew what he wanted us to do, no one was clear on what we should be doing.”

Onwurah, the MP for Newcastle Central, claimed that in any other profession, Corbyn’s approach could have landed him in an employment tribunal.

“If this had been any of my previous employers in the public and private sectors, Jeremy might well have found himself before an industrial tribunal for constructive dismissal, probably with racial discrimination thrown in – given that only 5% of MPs are black and female, picking on us two is statistically interesting to say the least,” she said.

A spokesman for Corbyn said there were negotiations about responsibilities but nobody was sacked, and it was regrettable that Onwurah felt singled out.

The MP’s account supported that of Debbonaire, who has previously complained about her treatment at the hands of Corbyn’s team at a time when she was receiving treatment for cancer.

Onwurah said she had been working on a campaign against library closures but was unable to launch it formally because no one was sure whether or not libraries were part of her portfolio. She said there was “nothing socialist about incompetence” and Corbyn had no monopoly on objecting to prejudice and injustice in society.

Corbyn’s spokesman said: “Chi Onwurah’s comments relate to a discussion about the delineation of shadow cabinet roles last January, as is not uncommon in both shadow cabinets and cabinets. Chi was appointed by Jeremy Corbyn to be shadow minister for culture and the digital economy last September,” he said.

“When Thangam Debbonaire was appointed as a dedicated shadow minister for the arts in January, there was a negotiation about the division of responsibilities with Chi and Thangam, but at no point was anyone sacked. We regret that Chi feels she was singled out, but this was clearly not the case.”

The MP, who remains on Corbyn’s frontbench, is the latest Labour politician to criticise Corbyn’s leadership style. Last week Heidi Alexander, who resigned as shadow health secretary in June, described Corbyn’s operation as “unprofessional and shoddy”. The former shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood has described being “undermined” by the leader.

The attacks have annoyed Corbyn supporters who believe he has been unfairly attacked.

The leader, who addressed a large rally in London on Sunday night, continues to have the support of most of the major trade unions and the vast majority of constituency Labour parties.



The latest unrest comes as many Labour MPs turn their minds to what might happen after the leadership contest if – as the polls suggest – Corbyn sees off the challenge from Owen Smith.

It is understood that the vast majority of MPs agree there should not be a formal split of the party, with many fearing the impact of losing the Labour brand.

“Absolutely no one is talking about that,” said one MP who is backing Smith.

However, they admitted many were split on whether they ought to rally around Corbyn following a victory. One MP who is a critic of the leader said he would be willing to serve on the frontbench again.

Others have suggested the possibility of organising separately on the backbenches, in a move that has been described as a “semi-split”.

However, the suggestion that the Co-operative party, which has close links to Labour through 25 MPs who have been elected to parliament on a joint ticket, could be used to support a separate grouping has been denied.

A spokesperson for party said it had been operating for 99 years to champion the co-operative movement. “We are not a vehicle to be used by one political faction or another to advance their own agenda. The Co-operative party has worked with Labour under each of its leaders since 1927 and remains neutral on the current leadership contest within the Labour party.”

“The Co-operative party NEC has had no discussions about changing the way the party operates based on the outcome of the Labour leadership contest.”

Corbyn will face Smith on Thursday in the latest of the party’s hustings events.

He remains the clear favourite with the bookies, although Smith will be buoyed after winning the backing of Kezia Dugdale, the leader of Scottish Labour, and Sadiq Khan, the London mayor.

Tim Roache, the general secretary of the GMB union, has sent a message to members urging them to back Smith, in a break from other big unions such as Unite and Unison.

“We can’t spend the next five years as a protest movement, talking to ourselves in a bubble. Now is a time for strength and deeds, not just warm words and slogans,” he wrote. “I encourage you to cast your vote for Owen – so we can get on with securing a Labour government.”