A row has erupted within the Lewisham Labour Party over Lily Madigan, a transgender woman, standing for the role of women’s officer in the Deptford constituency.

Ms Madigan, 20, is backed by Momentum, a grass roots movement supportive of Jeremy Corbyn.

The Goldsmiths University student is campaigning on a platform of “socialism and sisterhood” but in a Facebook post, Lewisham Momentum described “animosity and factionalism” between party members as a result of Ms Madigan’s standing.

The post describes “unprincipled manoeuvres” of “others on the left.”

But Ms Madigan said she had a lot of support, “especially from local women, which is lovely, and I wouldn’t be running in the first place if I hadn’t be asked to stand by local members.

"The people commenting don’t care about my age or my local experience; and just because I’m young doesn’t mean I have less to offer politically," she said. 

Ms Madigan became the target of online abuse when she became Labour’s first transgender women’s officer aged 19, in Kent.

Commenting on the recent abuse she received, which she said occurred mostly online and appeared to be from accounts linked to the far right and based in America, she added: “If people have a problem with me representing women then they are welcome to not vote for me but I don’t think that’s a genuine opinion among local Labour members.

“I’m running on a platform of socialism and sisterhood and I want to tackle issues that impact most women in our community – whether that’s tackling period poverty in our schools or training our members to effectively challenge the horrid culture of sexual harassment.

“I may be trans but I’m not just here for trans women,” she added.

In a Twitter post, Lewisham Cllr Aisling Gallagher voiced her support of Ms Madigan.

She wrote: “Solidarity and love to Labour sister LilyMadigan99 who is having to deal with a torrent of vile abuse for daring to stand to be Women’s Officer in a Lewisham CLP. Trans women are women, f*** trans-exclusionary radical feminists, no room for transphobia in the labour movement.”

Ms Madigan made headlines in 2016 when she sought legal advice after her school threatened to suspend her for wearing a girl’s uniform.

In her campaign video, Ms Madigan describes this as her start in politics.

Ms Madigan was recently elected as the women’s officer for Goldsmiths Labour.

Lewisham Deptford’s women party members will vote on Sunday.