Lloyd Russell-Moyle has stepped down from the Labour frontbench, saying he had been the victim of a “torrent of online hate” because of a “campaign by the rightwing media”. The Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven representative’s departure from the shadow cabinet is the latest exit of an ally of the former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Sir Keir Starmer, who replaced Corbyn after the party’s general election defeat, thanked Russell-Moyle for his work as the shadow minister for air quality and the natural environment. Russell-Moyle said he told Starmer of his intention to stand down and support him from the backbenches on Thursday afternoon. “It is with regret I leave the shadow ministry, but owing to a campaign by the rightwing media my position has become untenable,” the MP said in a statement. “This has unleashed a torrent of online hate and daily calls of harassment to my office, which has exposed those who work for me to abuse that would not be acceptable in any workplace. “It has also led to hounding and stress, from which I need a few weeks to support my team and myself to collectively recover.” A Labour spokesman said: “Keir thanked Lloyd for his hard work on the frontbench and wished him well in his plans for the coming months to focus on housing and youth services.” Russell-Moyle did not specify the details of the abuse he had suffered. His resignation came weeks after he apologised to the author JK Rowling for accusing her of “using her own sexual assault as justification for discriminating” against trans people.