Labour supporters will be stripped of their vote in the party's leadership election if they are caught carrying out abusive behaviour, Iain McNicol has warned. The Labour general secretary issued the caution as MPs and activists complain of online trolling and other threatening behaviour towards them.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his sole challenger Owen Smith have condemned the bullying, but McNicol has outlined this new measure in a bid to stamp out the bad behaviour.

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"Words of condemnation are meaningless unless they are backed up by action," the party grandee declared, in a statement today (25 July).

"The NEC has already taken the difficult decision to suspend most Party meetings while the Leadership election is ongoing. And over the coming days and weeks the Party will be taking further action to protect our members and to identify those responsible for this appalling behaviour.

"I want to be clear, if you are a member and you engage in abusive behaviour towards other members it will be investigated and you could be suspended while that investigation is carried out. If you are a registered supporter or affiliated supporter and you engage in abusive behaviour you will not get a vote in this Leadership election."

What are the key Labour leadership election dates?

  • 18 July: Signing up as a registered supporter to vote in the election begins.
  • 19 - 20 July: Number of MP nominations for each candidate to be published.
  • 20 July: Deadline for people to sign up as a registered supporter closes.
  • 22 August: Ballot papers will begin to be sent out around the UK, but to Labour Party members only.
  • 21 September: Deadline for ballot papers to be returned is midday.
  • 24 September: The election result will be announced at a Leadership Conference in Liverpool.

McNicol urged people to send reports of abusive behaviour to validation@labour.org.uk.

He added: "Choosing our candidate to be the next Labour Prime Minister is a great responsibility on us all.

"We owe it to the millions of people who need the Labour Party to fight for them, to conduct our Leadership election in a way that gives them confidence in our ability to build a better Britain."

More than 180,000 people have paid £25 to Labour in a bid to become an affiliated supporter and have a say in the election, which will conclude on 24 September when a winner is announced.

A Labour spokeswoman declined to comment on the party's investigation process, but told IBTimes UK: "We've got a robust system in place. The Labour Party would stop anyone from voting who was a registered or affiliate supporter."

The development comes after 44 female Labour MPs wrote an open letter to Corbyn highlighting the issue of "escalating abuse". Elsewhere, Corbyn's office was forced to deny a plan to "pressure" Labour whip Conor McGinn through his Sinn Fein father after he made critical comments of the Labour leader.

Iain McNicol's full statement

"Over the summer the party will embark on a big debate about our future. Labour members and supporters will choose our candidate for next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

"The Labour Party should be the home of lively debate, of new ideas and of campaigns to change society.

"However, for a fair debate to take place, people must be able to air their views in an atmosphere of respect. They shouldn't be shouted down, they shouldn't be intimidated and they shouldn't be abused, either in meetings or online.

"Put plainly, there is simply too much of it taking place and it needs to stop.

"The two candidates Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith, our Deputy Leader Tom Watson and our NEC have been very clear - there is no place for abuse of any kind in the party.

"However words of condemnation are meaningless unless they are backed up by action.

"The NEC has already taken the difficult decision to suspend most Party meetings while the Leadership election is ongoing. And over the coming days and weeks the Party will be taking further action to protect our members and to identify those responsible for this appalling behaviour.

"I want to be clear, if you are a member and you engage in abusive behaviour towards other members it will be investigated and you could be suspended while that investigation is carried out.

"If you are a registered supporter or affiliated supporter and you engage in abusive behaviour you will not get a vote in this Leadership election.

"Details of any abusive behaviour can be reported by emailing validation@labour.org.uk.

"Choosing our candidate to be the next Labour Prime Minister is a great responsibility on us all. We owe it to the millions of people who need the Labour Party to fight for them, to conduct our Leadership election in a way that gives them confidence in our ability to build a better Britain."

Jeremy Corbyn