Laura Parker, the head of the pro-Jeremy Corbyn campaign group Momentum, has dismissed widespread claims of antisemitism and bullying from within its membership.

She insisted she could count the  genuine instances of abuse “on the fingers of one hand”.

Ms Parker – who previously worked as Mr Corbyn’s private secretary – also suggested that abuse directed at Jewish MP Luciana Berger, including a suggestion she was being ‘watched’ by the group, “didn’t come from anyone who works for Momentum”.

In an interview with The Times, Ms Parker suggested Momentum was being attacked because it represented a challenge to establishment politics.

She said: “Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour leadership have unsettled the political establishment who have not known, in some cases, what to do with themselves.

“And so the easy way out of that is attacking the behaviour, the alleged behaviour (of activists).”

Asked about the frequent bullying and antisemitism allegations involving Momentum members she said: “Well any time anybody is said to have got it seriously wrong I would expect to have got a complaint.

“Now I can number those on the fingers of one hand.”

Last week, a Momentum banner was held aloft in support of Marc Wadsworth, who was subsequently expelled from Labour for bring the party into disrepute for his conduct towards Ruth Smeeth MP at the launch of Baroness Chakrabarti’s report into antisemitism.

But Ms Parker insisted she “did not know” if those holding the banner were indeed members of Momentum.
When asked about the apparent direct threats made to Ms Berger, she added: “No one in our staff team would send that.”

In response to suggestions that Momentum was actively campaigning to deselect Labour MPs who were deemed to be anti-Mr Corbyn, she said the “electorate” will decide who their MPs are.