Labour MP Tristram Hunt has declared that Labour modernisers feel "like the inside of a pig's head after a Piers Gaveston society ball".
The former shadow education secretary joked about PigGate as he urged members from pressure group Progress to stay positive in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn's victory.
He was among several high-profile Labour MPs who drew applause and cheers for praising the actions of Tony Blair in government – and a deafening silence for any mention of Corbyn and his deputy leader Tom Watson.
Speaking to a packed fringe meeting at Labour's party conference in a cinema in Brighton, Hunt described himself as a "god-fearing, national-anthem singing, roast-beef-eating member of Progress".
Opening his speech with "friends, comrades" – to much laughter from the audience – he urged members to "support our new leader Jeremy Corbyn and his plans on how to bring Labour back into government".
He went on: "Because, friends, we might all be feeling like the inside of a pig's head after a Piers Gaveston society ball – and we know the prime minister certainly has – but we need to pick ourselves up, get the taste of defeat out of our mouths, and focus on renewal."
Hunt praised Peter Kyle, Labour's new MP for Hove and Portslade, for winning his seat on a "pro-business" platform. "It's almost as if it's how you can win a general election!" he added, to applause.
"As a pressure group within the party, Progress should be proud of ourselves and confident of our purpose," Hunt said. "As Chuka [Umunna] said, don't ever let some fly-by-night Trot say that we aren't Labour."
John Woodcock, MP for Barrow and chair of Progress, opened the rally by saying: "Congratulations to Jeremy and Tom." His remark was met by an obvious silence that soon turned into awkward laughter.
Woodcock said: "Let's not forget that the key to change is – duh – winning an election. And you do that by persuading some of the people who voted for the other lot last time to vote for your lot this time."
In a swipe at shadow chancellor John McDonnell, he added: "And never forget that two plus two equals four – no matter how many time someone tells you it equals people's quantitative easing."
Chuka Umunna, the former shadow business secretary, quoted Nelson Mandela in his speech: "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."
He railed against the abuse that had been doled out to Progress members during the leadership contest. "Now the contest is over we've got to draw a line under the kind of behaviour that says it's OK to go around calling people in this room Tories because they have a different view," he said.
"We've also got to draw a line under the accusation that somehow there's some wonderful glory in opposition, that everything that Labour governments in times past are Tory too."
Andy Burnham, now shadow home secretary after losing the contest to Corbyn, mounted a passionate defence of Blair's achievements in power.
He said the "most depressing moment" in the leadership campaign was the abuse he received for praising Blair on Sky News: "I was asked what I thought of his latest intervention and I said something like, 'Oh, of course anyone who's won three elections for Labour, everyone should listen to what our most successful leader in the history of our party should have to say.'
"I then looked at Twitter and there were very senior figures saying, 'Oh, he's lost it now, praising Tony Blair.' I'm going to say this to you all: If we as a party say 'we no longer will listen to our most successful leader ever', we have completely and utterly lost it.
"He made us electable and we need to keep that at the front of our minds – that's what people who've come into the party in recent times need to think about."
Ivan Lewis, the former shadow Northern Ireland secretary, told how he was dumped from the shadow cabinet by Corbyn. "Fourteen years on the front bench, ended by text, telling me that my job was being offered to someone else," he said. "Comrades, that's no way for socialists to treat working people."