Hard-left activists have been ordered not to discuss a motion calling for Labour MP Dame Louise Ellman to resign on Yom Kippur, as it could “prejudice” attempts to de-select the Jewish MP.

Ruth Knox, secretary of Liverpool Riverside’s St Michael’s Labour Party branch, sent a message on Monday confirming a warning had been given by officials at Labour’s North West Region that “discussing a motion calling on the member of parliament to resign could prejudice the outcome of a trigger ballot in Liverpool Riverside CLP”.

The email to all branch members adds: "Therefore the Branch are not permitted to discuss the motion.”

St Michael’s Labour branch – whose members include hard-left activists who have been investigated for antisemitism by the party will continue to meet on Kol Nidre at 6.30pm “to enable us to carry out selection of candidate for the 2020 local elections”.

The JC revealed earlier how two other branches in Liverpool Riverside - Princes Park and Greenbank – had submitted motions of no confidence against the MP.

Luke Akehurst of the moderate Labour First group told the JC: "These no-confidence motions have no standing in the Labour rulebook. The so-called trigger ballot is the only way an MP can be deselected.

"These are simply the vicious bullying of Louise Ellman, designed to sap her morale before the trigger-ballot selection process.”

Some of the leading campaigners against her have taken to not referring to the MP by her name in what one source told the JC was a stunt aimed at "dehumanising" their elected representative.

"There are several regular attendees at meetings of the Liverpool Riverside Party who delight in standing up and addressing Louise as 'the MP' or at best 'Ms Ellman' to her face,” the source said.

"This is despite the fact that when she attends meetings - and she normally does - Louise makes a point of telling members to call her by her first name.

"It's quite disgusting to watch and see - but it's been going on for months now."

Labour sources told the JC all three Riverside branches have been warned not to discuss no confidence motions.

They said trigger ballots had been used since 2001 and said Monday's meeting was a gathering of Riverside CLP's executive committee.