Tom Watson forms new moderate group within Labour as he reveals he received FIFTY complaints about anti-Semitism over the past week

The Labour deputy leader wants to give centre-left MPs more of a voice after nine of them quit last week, criticising Jeremy Corbyn and the party's hard-left leanings.

It came as Mr Watson revealed he had received 50 complaints from colleagues about anti-Semitism in the past week – which he has called on Mr Corbyn to deal with personally.

The West Bromwich East MP, who last week made an impassioned appeal via a video clip for his party to change, said there was "almost a crisis for the soul of the Labour Party".

Mr Watson said he felt "shame" that Luciana Berger, who quit Labour for the new Independent Group of MPs, had been "bullied out by a small number of racist thugs".

"The culture of bullying and anti-Semitism that drove Luciana out has continued in full view on social media this week," he said.

"Since Monday, when I made my video expressing sadness at the departure of colleagues, I have received 50 complaints about anti-Semitism from colleagues.

"I have passed these on to Jeremy and asked him to take the personal lead on examining these cases.

"I also called on Jeremy to do more to unite the party and reshuffle the shadow cabinet to give greater weight to MPs with social democratic rather than socialist views.

"The need to see Labour as the broad church of its tradition is the main reason why I am convening a group of MPs this week who believe in the party's social democratic tradition to develop policies."

He added: "There is almost a crisis for the soul of the Labour Party.

"Everyone that cares about our future – whatever tradition they represent – has to find it within themselves to work more closely together. And that is as big a challenge for Jeremy as it is for me."

Mr Watson's new internal group was backed by Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds, who said: "I think it is an exciting new development and I hope to be part of what he's talking about.

"His priority is to protect pluralism in our party and the broad church that the party has always been and I do think the social democratic tradition in the party has been somewhat overlooked."

Meanwhile Mr Watson has also revealed he is likely to back a second referendum on Brexit unless Theresa May signs up to Labour's red lines of close economic ties to the EU.