Mr Corbyn, pictured visiting Finsbury Park Mosque today, was defied by more than a dozen of his own team over Brexit last week

Labour's shambles over Brexit hit a new low today as Jeremy Corbyn indicated he will not sack more than a dozen frontbenchers who defied him to try and block the EU Bill.

The veteran left-winger is facing another tortuous week as Theresa May pushes through legislation that will allow her to trigger Article 50.

He made a desperate bid to put an end to months of confusion about the Opposition's stance by ordering his MPs to vote in favour of the Bill at second reading on Wednesday.

But more than 40 of his MPs ignored the three-line whip. Asked this afternoon if he would fire 13 members of his own team who has chosen to rebel, Mr Corbyn said merely: 'I am a lenient person.'

The limp response came amid fresh demands for the leader's close ally Diane Abbott to resign over her 'sick note' absence from the key EU Bill vote.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry stoked the row this morning by refusing to defend Ms Abbott's claim that she developed a headache shortly before the division. 'I don't know the details of that,' Ms Thornberry said.

There is mounting speculation that Mr Corbyn will make another concession to rebels by ordering MPs to abstain on the third reading of the Bill on Wednesday.

His allies believe the compromise could be the only way to stop the party's divisions becoming even more catastrophic.

Ms Thornberry did not deny that abstaining was on the table - pointing out that the shadow cabinet would meet to consider the issue on Tuesday.

'We have said that we will not frustrate Brexit. We have got our instructions from the British people. We are democrats and the public have voted to leave the European Union,' she told The Andrew Marr Show.

'There are going to be negotiations happening in the next week. There are many ways in which the Government may be able to react to this that will be positive.

'On one of the amendments we have put down they may say, 'We're not going to support this amendment but during a speech we can give an assurance, we can speak in back channels, we can say you will get this.'

She added: 'It is a fast-moving picture. Let's see what happens,' she said. 'The whip will be decided next week. Let's see what happens in relation to the amendments. We have a shadow cabinet meeting next week. It will be for the chief whip and the leader to decide what the whip is.'

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry (pictured today on the BBC's Andrew Marr show) pointedly refused to defend Diane Abbott's failure to vote on the EU Bill

Ms Abbott's office insisted she had a 'severe migraine' that came on just hours before the vote

There were more calls today for Ms Abbott to be sacked for missing last week's historic vote, which delivered an overwhelming majority in support of Theresa May triggering the Article 50 Brexit process.

MPs have ridiculed the excuse that the shadow home secretary had a severe migraine, and pointed out that at least two politicians undergoing cancer treatment did manage to take part in the division.

Former minister Caroline Flint told ITV's Peston show: 'We used to have man flu now we have Brexit flu ... if she can't support the leader on this she should go.'

Meanwhile, former deputy leader Harriet Harman has warned that Labour's plight is as bad as the 1980s and the party must stop 'telling the public they are wrong'.

Mr Corbyn was out and about at Finsbury Park Mosque to mark 'Visit My Mosque' day ahead of another tortuous week as the PM pushes through Brexit legislation

She said Mr Corbyn's team was 'shouting' at voters and refusing to recognise that their policies were unpopular.

Ms Harman said there were 'painful echoes of the 1980s' about what was happening to Labour.

The party had to 'get its act together instead of shouting at the public and telling the public they are getting it wrong'.

'We had to listen to them and work out where we were getting it wrong,' she told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday.

'That is what we have to do again.'

Pointing to the dire poll ratings for the leader and the party, Ms Harman said: 'I think you cannot be an effective Opposition if you haven't got enough public support.

Labour's former deputy leader Harriet Harman said the party was in a very bad state and Jeremy Corbyn needed to recognise that his policies were unpopular

Ms Harman told Sky News there were 'painful echoes of the 1980s' about what was happening to Labour

'We do need more public support in order to be an effective Opposition, let alone a credible government.'

But shadow chancellor John McDonnell - a key ally of Mr Corbyn - told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics: 'Once we get past Brexit we'll unite the Labour Party, we'll be back on our agenda, and you'll see I think that we'll have a significant impact on the political debate in this country which means we'll go back in front of the Tories in the polls over the next year.

'That's what I think most of the Labour party members are actually campaigning for and support.

'We'll be on the Labour agenda of protecting our economy. They [the Tories] are preparing for a fight even though they've papered over the cracks at the moment.'

Tory MP Maria Caulfield said: 'Labour are totally divided and confused over whether or not to back the Bill that delivers the country's decision to leave the EU.'

160 MPs and London Mayor back calls to deny Trump honour of Westminster Hall speech

More than 160 MPs and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have backed calls to deny Donald Trump the honour of a Westminster Hall speech.

Tory former minister Anna Soubry branded the US president a 'spoilt child', and said if he was to deliver an address she would probably boycott it.

Theresa May has flatly dismissed demands for Mr Trump's state visit to be cancelled over his ban on nationals seven mainly-Muslim countries coming to America - which has been put on hold by the US courts.

The Prime Minister said that while she viewed the policy as 'divisive and wrong' it was a matter for the American authorities and would not hurt relations.

More than 160 MPs have signed an indicative motion calling for Mr Trump to be denied the honour of delivering a Westminster Hall address

More than 1million people have signed a petition demanding President Trump's state visit to the UK is cancelled. Pictured, President Trump with an executive order in the Oval Office

However, critics are trying a different tack by appealing to the Speakers of the Commons and Lords to refuse to authorise a Westminster Hall speech.

Speaker John Bercow has privately expressed concern about the expected backlash if the event were to happen, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

London Mayor Mr Khan, a former Labour MP, told MailOnline: 'I had the honour of being there and listening to Aung San Suu Kyi and also President Obama.

'I think parliamentarians will make their own decisions, as will the Speaker. The reality is that in the circumstances where there is a ban in place the public find it odd there is a state visit, let alone him being given the privilege that dignitaries have been given to address both Houses.'

Ms Harman told the Observer she would boycott any speech by the US commander-in-chief.

'His views on many issues are unacceptable. And on foreign policy he seems to think he can just bully other countries and get his way. That we should sit there smiling and clapping is... well for me it is out of the question,' she told the Observer.

Tory former minister Anna Soubry (pictured right on the BBC's Andrew Marr show today) branded the US president a 'spoilt child'

Fellow Labour MP Yvette Cooper said: 'The idea that we are all going to sit in Parliament and listen to a man who is turning the clock back on democracy, pushing misogyny and hatred of Muslims is a joke.'

The 'early day motion' tabled by Labour MP Stephen Doughty reads: 'This House deplores recent actions taken by US President Donald J Trump, including his Executive Order on Immigration and Refugees, and notably his comments on torture and women;

'Notes the historical significance and honour that comes with an invitation to address both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall or elsewhere in the Palace of Westminster;

'And calls on the Speaker, Lord Speaker, Black Rod and Serjeant at Arms to withhold permission from the Government for an address to be made in Westminster Hall, or elsewhere in the Palace of Westminster, by President Trump.'