A NEWLY elected Labour MP urged his colleagues today to “get behind” whoever wins the Labour leadership contest, warning that anonymous briefings against Rebecca Long Bailey are “not healthy.”

Navendu Mishra has criticised a series of anonymous claims that a large number of Labour MPs are ready to quit the party if the shadow business secretary emerges triumphant.

One MP who asked not to be named said that between 30 to 50 fellow Labour parliamentarians would walk out if Ms Long Bailey was chosen by members to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.

Another said that 35 would leave, saying: “The Labour Party would be sticking two fingers up to the public to stay on the same course as set by Corbynism.

“MPs won’t go through that again and the public won’t stand for it.”

Mr Mishra, who was elected to represent Stockport in December, told the Morning Star: “The constant anonymous briefings and threats towards certain leadership candidates are not healthy for our party full stop. They show contempt for our members and they only strengthen this vicious Conservative administration.

“No matter who wins in the leadership race, we have to get behind the members’ choice for leader, so that we can offer the real alternative that our communities need, and all Labour parliamentarians have to recognise this.”

Speaking at a rally in Lewisham last week, Ms Long Bailey responded to a question about disruptive MPs by calling on the party to “pull together.”

However, she warned: “If people aren’t able to move on, that’s when obviously I’ll have to become a bit more ruthless.”

Aslef, the train drivers’ union, backed Rebecca Long Bailey for leader and Angela Rayner for deputy leader yesterday. 

General secretary Mick Whelan applauded the candidates’ support for rail renationalisation and said that the union believes they are “best placed to rebuild our party in Parliament and lead Labour to victory at the next election.”