Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge has defeated attempts by the hard left to remove her as candidate for her seat.

Dame Margaret, an MP since 1994, faced deselection after several pro-Jeremy Corbyn branches of the Barking Constituency Labour Party (CLP) triggered a contest.

Victory! pic.twitter.com/68HYQqCqpC

— Margaret Hodge (@margarethodge) October 28, 2019

The veteran Jewish MP has been a vocal critic of the Labour leader and the party’s record of tackling antisemitism among its members.

In a blog published on the Labour List website, Barking CLP member John Pawson disputed claims that Dame Margaret was 'triggered' due to her stance on antisemitism in the party.

Mr Pawson wrote: "What I’m hearing is that this move has come from those in the CLP who have supported Margaret Hodge and share her political views but had expected her to retire and wanted an MP who lives in the constituency. Some of those members are no doubt keen to put themselves forward for the position...

"I hope that Barking and Dagenham can be allowed to resolve this issue ourselves, without interference from the press and social media speculators who don’t live here, don’t know anything about our community or our CLP, and don’t bother to check their facts because they know it will get in the way of the fictional story they want to publish."

On Monday night, she tweeted a photo of herself surrounded by her supporters, many of whom carried red Labour Party placards, with the caption "Victory!"

It is thought that she won on the first ballot with more than 50 per cent of CLP members voting for her.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan congratulated her, tweeting: “Congratulations to @margarethodge – reselected by Labour members to continue her work representing the people of Barking and Dagenham in Parliament.”

A Board of Deputies spokesman also tweeted: “Congratulations to @MargaretHodge on her emphatic reselection.

“Trolls who opposed her reckoned without Margaret’s strength & popularity. Not lost on anyone that Labour’s so-called ‘anti-racist’ leader missing in action as his drones tried to force out another Jewish MP.”

Ruth Smeeth, the parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, said: "I just want to put on record the fact that Margaret Hodge, the honourable (member) for Barking, has been reselected this evening, against an appalling attack by members of our party and I am delighted she remains a Labour candidate at the next general election.”

Labour stressed that, under longstanding party rules, reselection processes have happened before every general election since 2001, apart from the 2017 snap election.

A party spokesman added: "It’s a core part of our preparation for an election, where we will be campaigning to bring an end to the decade of austerity imposed by Tory and Tory/Lib Dem governments.”