Shadow chancellor John McDonnell sparked a Labour row by planning to address activists in the seats of moderate London MPs without telling them.
The Left-winger will speak to hundreds of activists in People’s Momentum, a group some MPs fear will be used to launch a purge of the party.
On October 24, he spoke at a rally in Bethnal Green and Bow, the east London seat of Rushanara Ali, without informing her office beforehand.
He told activists: “We are working through the Labour Party to ensure we build it up as an electoral force that can win elections.” He went on to say that the movement aimed to install and sustain “socialist governments” and “transform society at every level”.
With anger rising, he today said he would contact MPs before attending an event in their area. One London Labour figure said MPs “want to be backed by their party, not have the shadow chancellor turn up unannounced and start talking about how he is joining activists to use the Labour Party”.
Asked about the rally by the Standard, a spokesman for Mr McDonnell said: “This was not a frontbench visit, and John was attending a campaign event speaking in his capacity as a Labour MP and not as the shadow chancellor.
“However, he spoke with the local MP after the event in Bethnal Green and is contacting other Labour MPs about future events in the normal manner.”
Mr McDonnell is due to address an event this month in the Walthamstow seat of Stella Creasy. She and Ms Ali declined to comment. Tension has been rising since People’s Momentum was established in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership win. Organisers deny it will be used to purge moderate MPs.
