LABOUR is investigating claims of bullying made against shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams.

She denies the allegations and has made counter-accusations that an unspecified number of unnamed employees in Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s office bullied her.

A Labour spokesman said Ms Abrahams had stood aside from her front-bench role while the investigation takes place over an “employment issue.”

Margaret Greenwood will take her place during this time, the party said. A “no-prejudice investigation” is being handled by the party rather than the whips’ office. 

Ms Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, denied that she had quit.

She said on Sunday night that she might sue over what she called “spurious” claims.

Ms Abrahams claimed she had experienced “aggressive, intimidating and wholly unprofessional” behaviour from the Labour leader’s office for the past 10 months and would complain to the party and parliamentary authorities.

Ms Abrahams said in a statement: “I have had no details about the complaint, who it is from, the process or timescales.

“I have not agreed to stand aside … My treatment in the last week has shown a bullying culture of the worst kind.”

Meanwhile, Commons Speaker John Bercow came under pressure yesterday from MPs demanding an inquiry into bullying allegations in the Commons.

Green MP Caroline Lucas tabled an urgent question to allow MPs to debate the bullying allegations after a Newsnight investigation alleged that Mr Bercow’s private secretary Kate Emms resigned and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after working for him between 2010 and 2011.

The allegations against Mr Bercow surfaced shortly before Ms Abrahams was suspended from her role.