Jeremy Corbyn has been warned more Labour MPs could walk out the door after seven quit in a historic clash over Brexit and anti-Semitism.

Labour’s leader is under mounting pressure after Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Mike Gapes, Angela Smith, Gavin Shuker, Chris Leslie and Ann Coffey announced they had left and branded themselves "The Independent Group".

In a blistering statement, Mr Corbyn’s own deputy Tom Watson warned more could follow saying: “I confess I feared this day would come – and I fear now, that unless we change, we may see more days like this."  

He added: “I love this party but sometimes I no longer recognise it.”

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told Sky News "we need a mammoth, massive listening exercise" to address concerns – but played down claims up to 36 Labour MPs had mulled a split.

There was a stormy meeting of the backbench Parliamentary Labour Party last night where Ruth Smeeth wept and MPs hit out at the leadership.

Labour MP Stella Creasy told the meeting she was sick of “warm words” and the “constructive dismissal” of MPs.

Labour chairman Ian Lavery told MPs he was "disappointed" with the MPs who left.

But Corbyn critic Ian Austin warned after the meeting: “If that’s the response from the leadership, it will make the situation much worse.

"I think you could see more people considering taking the same course of action. I think a lot of people will be reflecting”.

Labour MP Louise Ellman claimed Mr Lavery’s speech made things worse because he “just didn’t seem to understand” the enormity of what happened.

“He said he was disappointed. He implied he was disappointed with them [the MPs] and people should stay in the party”, she said. “There was no reassurance at all the Labour Party’s going to deal with it.”

Yesterday’s split came 38 years after the ‘gang of four’ MPs left Labour in the early 1980s in an ill-fated move that ended in failure.

But Independent Group co-founder Chuka Umunna said today "there are many other people who have misgivings about their parties" and urged them to join up.

And Labour MP Jess Phillips said Jeremy Corbyn should "move every sinew in his body” to change Labour after the mass resignation.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Ms Phillips said what happened next would depend on whether the party chose "kindness and healthy self-criticism or instead choose to go to war".

She warned her loyalty is "not blind" and it is up to Jeremy Corbyn to reassure MPs – and "build them a home, not a student union."

She wrote: "Politics is about, and for, all the people in this country, not a tiny clique on the hard Left who want to prove that they are the best and who believe that if you’re not in their gang then you belong in the bin." 

Meanwhile Tories are also on defection watch in case they join the new-look group.

Two Tories told the BBC they are considering joining the breakaway Independent Group.

And The Sun reports six Tory Remainer rebels – Heidi Allen, Sarah Wollaston, Anna Soubry, Antoinette Sandbach, Justine Greening and Phillip Lee – are on defection watch. 

Ms Wollaston fuelled speculation last night she could jump ship by tweeting: "#BLUKIP has been busy taking over the Tory Party alongside the ERG.

"Soon there will be nothing left at all to appeal to moderate centre ground voters."

Jeremy Corbyn said yesterday: "I am disappointed that these MPs have felt unable to continue to work together for the Labour policies that inspired millions at the last election and saw us increase our vote by the largest share since 1945.

“Labour won people over on a programme for the many not the few – redistributing wealth and power, taking vital resources into public ownership, investing in every region and nation, and tackling climate change."

Mr Corbyn’s allies went further, with Unite’s Len McCluskey branding the quitter MPs "hypocrites" because they won 18 months ago under a Labour banner.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell led calls for the ‘gang of seven’ to resign their seats and fight for a new mandate in a by-election.

But Mr Umunna risked anger today by rebuffing the calls, saying a string of by-elections would not be "justified" and were "not what people want".

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And the group has had a highly rocky start to its political life.

It was hit by a race row within hours after Angela Smith, one of the seven MPs, was forced to apologise for using the phrase "funny tinge" when referring to people’s skin colour.

Meanwhile the new group’s only legal basis is an opaque company called Gemini A Ltd based above a Wetherspoons called The Unicorn.

The Electoral Commission watchdog has contacted the group after concerns were raised that Gemini A would not have to declare its private donors.

Donors will be declared if and when the Independent Group registers as a political party – but currently it has not done that.

Asked when the group of MPs could evolve into a new centre party with a name and more members, Mr Umunna said: "I would like to see us move as quickly as possible and certainly by the end of the year, but that’s my personal view."

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