The Master of Clare College, Lord Grabiner, has resigned the Labour Party whip in the House of Lords over the direction the party is taking under Jeremy Corbyn.

The former barrister, who has been Master of Clare College since October 2014 when he succeeded Professor Tony Badger, told The Times that Corbyn’s proposals were “terribly damaging”.

He said that Labour was in a state of “disarray” and that he was unable to “square [staying in the party] with my conscience”.

He was dismissive about Labour’s chances of success under its new leader, stating that he had “nothing in common whatever” with Corbyn, adding that “I don’t believe we are ever going to win an election” under his leadership.

He was particularly scathing of the appointment of John McDonnell, a close personal ally of the Labour Leader, saying that “I am concerned with the economic stuff. I am really concerned with the Shadow Chancellor”. 

Responding to Anthony Grabiner’s resignation today, a Labour spokesperson said: “We welcome Tony’s continued membership and support of our party”.

He added: “We know he has been increasingly busy and less able to attend the Lords to participate in House business and we of course understand his decision to relinquish the Labour whip”.

Lord Grabiner’s resignation comes five days after Lord Warner, a former health minister in Tony Blair’s Labour government, also resigned the Labour whip in protest at Labour under Corbyn’s leadership.

Warner said that the party in its current form was “anything other than a government in waiting”, with little chance of winning power in the next decade. 

He also said that Labour did not have a “hope in hell” in forming a government under Corbyn’s leadership.