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An explosive row over the “bullying” of a pregnant Labour MP rocked the party today.

Ellie Reeves was targeted for a no-confidence vote and a call to be deselected after she opposed the readmission of controversial Corbyn-backer Chris Williamson, who has been accused of anti-Semitism.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson today hit out at the plot, branding it “reprehensible bullying” and verging on “mob rule”.

Former acting leader Harriet Harman said it must not be allowed to happen. The targeting of Ms Reeves, who is 22 weeks pregnant, comes just months after ex-Labour MP Luciana Berger quit the party after she faced similar moves to oust her while expecting a baby.

Mr Watson said today: “A small group of members are trying to bully another pregnant MP out of the party. This reprehensible behaviour cannot be tolerated. A very small mob of members are trying to intimidate MPs and dictate their every tweet, speech and TV utterance. It’s completely ridiculous. The culture of fear and intimidation created by a small cabal of members is disgusting and particularly damaging at a time when the EHRC [Equality and Human Rights Commission] is investigating us. We need direction from the very top of the party that this kind of attempted mob rule will not just be rejected, it will be rooted out and those who perpetrate it will be disciplined.”

Ms Reeves, who is the sister of Labour MP Rachel Reeves and married to Parliamentary Labour Party chairman John Cryer, was one of more than 120 MPs and peers who signed a letter calling on leader Jeremy Corbyn to remove the Labour whip from his ally and staunch Left-winger Mr Williamson.

An email seen by website Politics Home shows how a local member of her Lewisham West and Penge constituency party wrote to its chairman, John Clark, calling for a motion of no confidence to be held, and then start the “trigger process” by which MPs can eventually be deselected.

A motion of no confidence is not binding and does not mean that a trigger process will begin, but is usually seen as the initial stage in plans to oust a sitting MP.

The member wrote to Mr Clark: “I would like to put forward a motion of no confidence in Ellie Reeves, our MP, for signing Tom Watson MP letter regarding Chris Williamson MP at our next meeting and also start the new trigger process to deselect our MP which you should have received from [General Secretary] Jennie Formby.”

A source close to Mr Corbyn called the Evening Standard and said the motion would not go ahead.

Earlier, Ms Harman was said to be “on the warpath” about this latest case of a pregnant Labour MP facing potential moves to oust her.

Ms Harman Tweeted: “Ellie Reeves elected in 2017 is not going to be deselected by @UKLabour in 2019 while 5 months pregnant. We are not going to let it happen. Full Stop! But up and down the country there are women being pushed out of their jobs when they’re pregnant. Labour is there to stand up for them. So we do have a say. And we will.”

Some Corbyn allies in constituency Labour parties across the country are said to have seen the calls from moderate MPs for the suspension of Mr Williamson as a way of attacking the party leader.

A Labour Party source said: “It would be wrong to bring a motion of no confidence against a pregnant MP who will soon be on maternity leave. No motion has been formally moved or tabled. In any case, motions of no confidence have no formal standing and do not result in trigger ballots. Any MP who is on parental leave will not undergo reselection processes until they return from leave.”

It is understood Mr Corbyn’s office does not support the plans mooted by a single member of constituency to bring a motion of no confidence.

They claim they spoke to Ms Reeves’s office on Monday to say that their staff would speak to the Lewisham West and Penge CLP members and talks were ongoing. A message in support of Ms Reeves was also sent from the Labour leader’s office today.