“We stand with Diane”
Solidarity with Diane Abbott continues to mount, with over 6,000 people signing a Labour Assembly Against Austerity petition and 1,000 people signing a Momentum petition in support of her in under 24 hours. Earlier this week, Labour Hub reported how the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP was the focus of a vicious attack by Tory donor Frank Hester in 2019, which has only recently come to light.
Momentum is calling on Keir Starmer to restore the Labour whip to Abbott – and Kate Osamor – and is also highlighting the lack of support shown by the leadership to Muslim MPs.
The petitions come as Angela Rayner MP, Labour Deputy Leader, expressed support for Abbott to be let back into the Party so she can be a candidate for Labour at the next election. Abbott was unanimously adopted in 2022 by her local Party to stand again.
Welcoming the Labour Assembly Against Austerity petition and its initial support, Beth Winter MP said: “Diane Abbott has been a trailblazer for black communities and for fighting racism in parliament for more than 35 years. Without her being in the PLP the party risks alienating voters in constituencies across the country.
“The numbers signing the petition shows the strength of feeling which is welcome. The party should show it treats members equally and fairly and restore the whip as it has for other MPs in recent years.”
Tweeting support for the petition, Richard Burgon MP said: “The racism targeted at Diane Abbott by a top Tory donor is appalling. Diane deserves all of our support. As the first black woman MP in UK history and a real Labour hero, that should include Diane being brought back into the Parliamentary Labour Party.”
Commenting on the situation Diane faces, MSP and former Labour leader in Scotland Richard Leonard said: “The violent racism of Frank Hester was vile. It tells you everything you need to know about the Tories. The Labour response must be to stand firm with Diane, show practical solidarity and restore the whip without delay.”
The co-convenor of Stand up to Racism, Sabby Dhalu said: “The racism Diane Abbott MP is frequently subjected to is horrific, but to be fearful of her life whilst the government refuse to take action against Tory donor Frank Hester’s racism is extraordinary. Meanwhile Labour uses this racism to score political points against the Tories, whilst failing to address the racism Diane Abbott was subjected to by Labour members. She should not be left isolated and has a better track record on fighting racism than anyone else in the Labour Party. Racism is not a political football. Keir Starmer must restore the whip.”
Labour NEC member and Momentum NCG member Mish Rahman added: “At the very least, the Labour Party should restore the whip, support and stand in solidarity with Diane Abbott who faces intolerable levels of abuse unlike any other politician mainly because the political and media class have normalised her abuse. She needs to be treated with the respect she deserves as the first Black female MP, someone who has broken glass ceiling after glass ceiling – a pioneer of the Labour movement. Enough of your factional games. Restore the Whip Now!”
Fellow NEC member Yasmin Dar said: “Diane Abbott has been a trailblazer in British politics, breaking barriers and enduring unacceptable levels of racism throughout her career. Her resilience and determination serve as a testament to her strength and commitment to standing up for social justice. Restore the whip now!”
Commenting on the failure for the whip to be restored to Diane, Labour NEC member Jess Barnard said: “Diane’s treatment under Starmer’s Labour Party and brings shame on the party and undermines any claims that the party is taking racism seriously.
“This week we’ve seen one example of the disgusting racist abuse she faces, exposed by the media, but the reality is Diane has been dealing with this on a daily basis for years, with no support from her own party. Labour should restore the whip, apologise to Diane and start properly supporting women of colour in the parliamentary Labour Party, including Diane, Apsana and Zarah.”
Labour NEC member Gemma Bolton added: “Diane should have been celebrated as Britain’s first black woman MP but instead she has suffered years of hostility and abuse at the hands of not only other parties but also her own. It’s now time for Keir to right this wrong – Restore the Whip Now!”
The petition has also been supported by numerous prominent figures on social media including Grace Blakeley, Andrew Fisher, Alex Nunns and Ben Sellers plus the Labour Women Leading group. Former Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey has also joined the call.
Ian Lavery MP, Apsana Begum MP and Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP also came out for whip to be restored to Abbott. John McDonnell MP described Abbott’s case as a “litmus test”, citing prominent black journalist Gary Younge’s article slamming Labour over its double standards.
The endorsements for Diane Abbott came after local Labour activists wrote to the Guardian supporting the restoration of the whip. Last night, Friday, March 15th, around 1,000 local supporters demonstrated their support for the MP outside Hackney Town Hall.
Diane Abbott addressed the rally in support of her, organised by local Black women, telling the crowd they had to “stand firm” against racism. She was greeted with huge applause and chants of “We stand with Diane”.
Earlier this week, Andy McDonald MP had the Labour Whip restored, after a speech he made at a demonstration for a ceasefire in Gaza. A Momentum spokesperson said: “This is a welcome decision – Andy should never have been suspended in the first place. But it raises serious questions over Labour’s processes and their factional abuse under Keir Starmer. Why has it taken nearly five months to investigate a speech at a rally? Why has Diane Abbott – a black woman Keir Starmer rightly hails as a trailblazer – been suspended for an outrageous 11 months now, with no end in sight? And why do black and brown MPs like Diane, Apsana Begum and Kate Osamor feel they suffer worse treatment than their white male counterparts? We are clear – ahead of the General Election, now is the time to unite and take on the Tories. Keir Starmer should now restore the whip to Diane Abbott and Kate Osamor too, and end the abuse of Labour’s procedures for factional gain.”
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