MPs and Labour grandees clamouring for Jeremy Corbyn to remove the whip from Chris Williamson are “bullies” who need to be stood up to, one of Britain’s most prominent trade unionists said today.

Deputy leader Tom Watson led a pile-on of MPs who rejected a disciplinary panel’s ruling on Wednesday that Mr Williamson should have the whip restored after being suspended for saying Labour had been too apologetic over its record of fighting anti-semitism.

Party general secretary Jennie Formby said this evening that the whip had not actually been restored after Keith Vaz, who sat on the panel which decided to restore it, declared the decision needed to be revisited. It is to be revisited by the national executive on July 9.