LABOUR activists should “reassure” the public that the party “is not all at one with the current leadership” on the doorstep, shadow cabinet refusenik Rachel Reeves said yesterday.

Speaking at a fringe meeting organised by “old right” faction Labour First — which has no democratic structures and organises around an email newsletter — Ms Reeves said Labour rightwingers needed to define themselves as the “radical centre.”

She called for so-called moderates in the party to get better organised within constituencies, particularly before internal votes to choose conference delegates.

“On the doorstep [we need to] reassure people that the Labour party is not all at one with the current leadership, that there are alternatives,” she said.

But Labour whip Grahame Morris slammed: “People like Rachel Reeves have got to recognise that the election is over.
“Jeremy Corbyn was elected with a huge mandate from all sections of the party.

“We must go forward not as Kendallites or Burnhamites or Cooperites or Corbynistas, but as Labour United, and stand up for working people.”

The fringe, attended by 120 people and moved onto the street due to space constraints in the booked venue, also heard from Blairite lobby group Progress director Richard Angell.

He called on the party to ditch the “bullying and name-calling” of the leadership election.

But in a warning against party division he blasted: “The Trots want this!”

He went on to raise fears that leftwingers would take over constituency branches by “making it boring” and putting off their opponents from attending.

“They pick the rows, they attack the MPs, they attack the councillors,” he said.

But Labour national executive member Pete Willsman insisted it was “quite reassuring” that the majority of party activists had swung behind the leftwinger.

“The outright malcontents who disloyally go on the record undermining the party should think about the damage they’re doing,” he warned.

It is the first conference in recent years that Labour First has made a serious bid to lobby delegates.

As well as the fringe meeting, the group is distributing a daily newsletter.