Labour's Debbie Abrahams says she has been removed from her post against her will

Debbie Abrahams speaking in Parliament

Debbie Abrahams, the Labour MP for neighbouring Oldham East and Saddleworth, who lives in Newhey with her husband John, a former Lancashire cricket captain, says she has been removed from her post in the shadow cabinet against her will.

Labour said Mrs Abrahams had stepped down while an "employment issue" is investigated, but Mrs Abrahams claims that she is the victim of a "bullying culture of the worst kind".

She rejected the allegations against her "in the strongest possible terms".

"I have had no details about the complaint, who it is from, the process or timescales. I have not agreed to stand aside," she said in a statement.

"I will fight this spurious claim and do not rule out taking legal action."

Having been the Chairwoman of Rochdale Primary Care Trust for five years, and having failed to win in Milnrow and Newhey ward in the 2008 local elections, she was elected an MP in 2011, became shadow minister for the disabled in 2015 and appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in June 2016.

Mrs Abrahams said she had been victim to "aggressive, intimidating and wholly unprofessional" treatment by "certain individuals in the leader's office" over the last 10 months.

"My treatment in the last week has shown a bullying culture of the worst kind," she said. "As such I am making a formal complaint to both the Labour party and parliamentary authorities."