A LABOUR frontbencher has been criticised after he said MPs who quit to join the Independent Group were part of a “necessary cleansing” of the party.

Paul Sweeney, the shadow Scotland Office minister, accused former colleagues Chris Leslie and Chuka Umunna – who left labour to join the new pro-EU grouping, which also includes ex-Tories – of being “self-centred careerists”.

He also branded Mr Leslie “aloof and arrogant”, according to the Morning Star newspaper, adding: “The venom and the vitriol with which he addressed our front bench was a disgrace.”

Mr Sweeney, who represents Glasgow North East, reportedly made the comments at a meeting which took place on Friday night to mark the relaunch of the left-wing Tribune magazine.

He said: “There’s a necessary cleansing that has to happen in the margins.”

However, he expressed regret that Luciana Berger, the MP for Liverpoor Wavertree, had left the party amid accusations of bullying and bigotry centred around anti-Semitism.

Mr Sweeney later said his phrasing had been a “clumsy choice of words”, adding: “I meant no offence and apologise for any offence inadvertently caused on my part.”

Former Labour MP Ian Austin, who quit the party last month but did not join the new Independent Group, condemned the comments on Twitter.

He wrote: “A Labour MP says that people who have left Labour because of racism and extremism is a ‘necessary cleansing’.

“Let’s think about this: @pauljsweeney thinks the party is cleaner because people appalled about racism have left.”

One Labour MP told the PoliticsHome website: “Jeremy Corbyn has an opportunity here to show that he is serious about dealing with anti-Semitism and bullying in the Labour Party by sacking Sweeney from his shadow ministerial role and stripping him of the Labour whip.

"Anything less than that will be viewed as more prevarication on this issue.”