The row over anti-Semitism in Labour deepened further with an MP allegedly claiming her colleagues could strike.

Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield is said to have told a conference that if Labour failed to accept the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism, there could be a walkout.

Associates of the MP said that her remarks, reported in the MailOnline, were taken out of context.

Rosie Duffield is said to have warned that Labour MPs would not take it "lying down" if party leader Jeremy Corbyn did not take action.

A crucial meeting of the party’s ruling NEC on whether to accept the definition takes place tomorrow.

Ms Duffield is reported to have told the Jewish Labour Movement conference yesterday that if Mr Corbyn does not back down then MPs could "walk out".

She said: “If this definition is not adopted, the majority of Labour MPs won't take this sitting down. We have talked about walking out - going on strike. We are not going to take that lying down.”

John McDonnell, speaking on a visit to Dover, shrugged aside concerns that the bitter row within the party was costing it support in those Kent seats it needed to regain to form a government.

“This is not about electoral prospects," he said, "it is about tackling the issue itself.

"I don’t want to live in a society where Jewish pupils need extra security at schools, and Jewish cemeteries are drawn on with Nazi swastikas.

"We want to tackle anti-Semitism across society and of course we have had some examples of it in the party but we are being ruthless about dealing with it.”

“To be frank, we have been soul searching and we are going to move forward and resolve it within our own party.”

He said that anti-Semitism existed and had to be dealt with. Pressed on whether he thought the bitter internal divisions were affecting its support in key marginal seats in places like Dover and the Medway Towns, he said:

“This is not about electoral advancement, it is about tackling a problem. We will get all our other issues across, I am convinced about that.”