Diane Abbott has said she is “delighted” to have had the Labour whip restored but is “very dismayed” about reports suggesting she has been barred from standing as a Labour candidate at the next general election.
But Sky News reports that Keir Starmer said this afternoon that “no decision has been taken to bar [Abbott] going forward”, and shadow minister Darren Jones even suggested at a press conference she could speak to the party about re-standing.
Labour faces heavy pressure to allow the first Black woman elected to parliament to re-stand however in her Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency, with a rally due to be held at Hackney Town Hall on Wednesday night.
The veteran MP said in a statement on X this morning: “Naturally I am delighted to have the Labour whip restored and to be a member of the [Parliamentary Labour Party]. Thank you to all those who supported me along the way.
“I will be campaigning for a Labour victory. But I am very dismayed that numerous reports suggest I have been barred as a candidate.”
The news comes after a long suspension and on the eve of the general election.
The party declined to respond when asked if she would be allowed to stand for Labour. The Times reported party sources suggesting Labour will bar her from standing, prompting a wave of fresh criticism over the party’s handling of the case.
It follows another claim yesterday morning that the investigation that prompted her suspension had been wrapped up months ago, though Labour has also not responded to that allegation.
Train drivers’ union ASLEF today published a joint letter to Starmer from its general secretary Mick Whelan and the general secretaries of five other unions affiliated to Labour calling for Abbott to be confirmed as the candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
The letter is dated May 25th, prior to confirmation that the Labour whip had been restored to Abbott. Alongside Whelan, it has been signed by the TSSA’s Maryam Eslamdoust, Unite’s Sharon Graham, NUM’s Chris Kitchen, CWU’s Dave Ward and the FBU’s Matt Wrack.
VOTE HERE: Should Diane Abbott be allowed to stand again for Labour?
John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair often supportive of Keir Starmer, said the briefing suggesting the first black female MP would not be able to restand was “disgraceful”.
Jess Barnard, a national executive committee member on the left of the party, called the situation a “farce”. Mirror associate editor Kevin Maguire said he hoped she could stand again.
Neal Lawson, director of cross-party campaign group Compass, said of reports she could be barred: “Even for those who don’t share her politics, it’s sad to see that the Labour’s so-called broad church is now so narrow it no longer has space for a figure like Diane Abbott.
“Meanwhile, it appears to have no qualms about welcoming in former Tories like Natalie Elphicke who clearly don’t share its values.”
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting faced questions about whether the party had “stitched her up” on the BBC’s Today programme.
He said it was a decision for Labour’s national executive committee, and declined to say if he wanted her to remain as an MP.
But he added: “Keir Starmer when he talked about improving standards in the Labour party, he really meant it. I don’t know the specific factors that apply in Diane Abbott’s case. I was pleased actually that her suspension was lifted and the whip was restored.”
Pressed on the suggestion the investigation wrapped up months ago and why Labour figures had not disclosed this in recent broadcast interviews, he said he would not rely on “hearsay”.
What did Diane Abbott do to be suspended?
Abbott had the party whip suspended in April last year for suggesting in a letter to The Observer that Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers “are not all their lives subject to racism” as Black people are.
Abbott apologised and said she wished to “wholly and unreservedly withdraw” her remarks, which caused a significant backlash. A party spokesperson called the remarks “deeply offensive”.
But Abbott previously told LabourList that she suspected the party of using the disciplinary process to “bar me from standing at the next election”, despite her being selected by local members. “I wrote in September that my suspension was a factional manoeuvre aimed at silencing a Black woman on the left, a critic of the line of the current leadership. Nothing has substantially changed since.”
‘Whoever is responsible for this should hang their head in shame’ – John McTernan
By the Labour Outlook team
News on Tuesday night that Diane Abbott MP had had the Labour Whip restored by the party leadership was soured as party sources briefed journalists she would be blocked from standing as the candidate in Hackney North and Stoke Newington – the seat she has represented since 1987.
Attempts by party spokespersons on Wednesday’s media, including an interview with leader Keir Starmer and a media round by Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting to distance themselves from any such decision held little water.
Starmer reportedly told journalists, “No decision has been taken to bar Diane Abbott. The process that we were going through ended with the restoration of the whip. No decision has been made in terms of barring her.”
Yet senior sources told The Times within minutes of her having the whip restored, that she would not be a candidate.
Labour’s candidates are formally signed off at an NEC meeting on Tuesday 4th June.
It is this meeting that could choose not to endorse individual candidates such as Diane Abbott with the majority of NEC members prepared to act in accordance with the views of the Leader’s Office.
The threat of Diane Abbott not being selected has caused a backlash within the party and from key figures outside it which threaten to cause political splits during an election campaign, if not resolved.
As covered already on Labour Outlook, six trade unions affiliated to the party, including largest union Unite, have urged Keir Starmer to confirm Diane will be the candidate at the General Election.
Leading legal figure Martin Forde KC, who authored the Forde Report on behalf of Keir Starmer, said the way Diane Abbott’s situation has been handled is “utterly shambolic” and “deeply disturbing”
Shabna Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust, said, ‘The double standards in the treatment of Diane Abbott is abhorrent. Racism and misogynoir against Black women in the workplace is rife across society; our political class is no exception.’
Tony Blair’s former adviser, John McTernan, said the Diane Abbott investigation ‘designed to humiliate’ her and that, ‘Whoever is responsible for this should hang their head in shame.’
Independent journalist and race correspondent, Nadine White, wrote, “Labour’s poor treatment of Diane Abbott, Britain’s first Black woman MP, has further damaged the party’s relationship with Black voters.”
Guardian journalist Rachel Shabi said, ‘Labour’s treatment of Diane Abbott is an absolute disgrace. Rotten, bullying factionalism that shows us the party views racism purely as a game, a thing to be weaponised when politically convenient’
Sitting NEC member, Jess Barnard, said ‘for 5 months, Starmer has been sitting on Diane’s resolved case, running the clock down apparently with one aim – to push her out. Another case of political interference. What happened to that independent processes called for by the EHRC?’
Fellow NEC member, Mish Rahman, said,
‘Keir Starmer doesn’t care about Black and Muslim people.
He has one rule for white MPs like Steve Reed, Barry Sheerman and Neil Coyle and another for Black and Brown MPs – especially women as we see with treatment of
@HackneyAbbott’
Liverpool MP Kim Johnson and chair of the BAME caucus in the PLP said, “Solidarity with Diane, undeniably a trailblazer & a hero of our movement. At a time when all our energy should be focussed on throwing the Tories out, this process looks nakedly factional. Diane should have the whip restored now so she can stand as Labour’s candidate in the GE.”
Outgoing Labour MP Beth Winter said, ‘I am glad Diane Abbott has finally had the Labour Whip restored. The way she has been treated is vindictive, factional and cruel. She should be allowed to decide whether she will re-stand as a candidate.’
Left members organisation Momentum said in a statment, ‘Keir Starmer’s treatment of Diane Abbott has been appalling, vindictive & cruel. It is a slap in the face not just to Diane, but to the millions inspired by her as Britain’s first Black woman MP.’
- Supporters of Diane Abbott have called a community rally in support of Diane outside Hackney Town Hall in East London at 6.30pm, Wednesday 29th May. More info here.
