London: Labour MPs cheered jokes about killing the Royal Family and lynching a Tory Cabinet minister at a tasteless Remembrance Sunday event, it emerged last night

The “anti-war comedy night” even featured remarks mocking the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London.

Among those attending the event at a club in Covent Garden were former shadow minister Diane Abbott and Left-wing MP Jeremy Corbyn.

They heard another Left-winger, John McDonnell give a speech joking about Employment Minister Esther McVey being lynched.

Last night, Ed Miliband faced calls to condemn the MPs for taking part in the “sickening” event, held as the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces since the start of the First World War 100 years ago were honoured across the country.

But Corbyn risked causing further offence by insisting the comedy night — organised as a tribute to Labour firebrand and anti-war campaigner Tony Benn, who died in March aged 88 — was “a great event” that he “really enjoyed”.

In his speech, Mr McDonnell, the MP for Hayes and Harlington, spoke about a visit to Miss McVey’s Wirral West constituency, where the former TV presenter faces a major union-backed campaign to oust her from the marginal seat. To applause, he said: `I was up in Liverpool a fortnight ago where Alec McFadden, one of our [union] organisers, launched the Sack Esther McVey Day on her birthday.

“I spoke at a packed public meeting ... there was a whole group in the audience that completely kicked off quite critical of the whole concept, because they were arguing ‘Why are sacking her? Why aren’t we lynching the b******?”’ Comedian Steve Gribbin was then loudly cheered and applauded when he said: “I’m not a fan of the Royal Family, they are a bunch of parasites.”

He added: “There are royalists in [the audience], I can feel the anger. ‘Leave them alone’. No, kill ‘em.”

Left-wing activist and blogger Mark McGowan, who uses the stage name The Artist Taxi Driver, mocked the Tower of London ceramic poppies as “a river of blood”.

Last night Tory MPs demanded that McDonnell have the Labour whip withdrawn until he apologises and withdraws his comments about McVey.

Defence Minister Anna Soubry said: “These comments, made on Remembrance Sunday of all days, are extremely serious. There can be no excuse for a Member of Parliament to fantasise about someone’s death. Ed Miliband must remove the whip from John McDonnell. The Labour Party must not be a refuge to those who incite violence.”

Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said: “It’s sickening that Labour MPs chose to mark Remembrance Sunday, a hundred years since the outbreak of World War One, by making vile death threats against a female MP.

“Ed Miliband has totally lost control. His own front bench MPs are inciting hatred and violence against women. John McDonnell should be forced to withdraw his disgusting comments, and apologise.”

The Labour Party, McDonnell and Abbott did not respond to requests to comment last night.

Corbyn, MP for Islington North, said: “It was a great event and I really enjoyed it.

“Tony Benn dedicated his whole life to ending, not glorifying, war.”