Keir Starmer breaks silence on Diane Abbott’s Labor election ban

Sir Keir Starmer has broken his silence after a morning of feverish speculation over Diane Abbott’s future as a Labor MP.

The veteran leftist won the reinstatement of the Labor Party whip post on Tuesday, but whether or not she can stand in the general election remains mired in uncertainty.

She confirmed to various media outlets that the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) had banned her from standing in the Labor election – more than a year after she was suspended over controversial comments about racism.

But she added that she was “dismayed” by the prospect that she could be banned from standing and was upset by “numerous reports” suggesting she was.

Asked about Ms Abbott while campaigning in the West Midlands, the Labor leader said she was not barred from standing as a Labor candidate.

He told Sky News: “The whip has been returned to Diane Abbott, as you know, so she is a member of the Parliamentary Labor Party (PLP) and no decision has been made to ban her in the future.

“Obviously I’m just focused on the election campaign and we’re very happy to be campaigning here today to talk about what we’re going to do in relation to the NHS to reduce these waiting lists, but the factual situation is that that I defined outside.

Ms. Abbott was suspended last April for a letter she wrote in The observer which suggests that Jews are not subject to the same racism as some other minorities.

Jeremy Corbyn’s former shadow home secretary immediately apologized for his comments and said the letter was only an “initial draft”.

But she was suspended by chief whip Alan Campbell and placed under investigation.

It emerged on Tuesday that the investigation into Ms Abbott concluded in December, although Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer insisted this month it was still “ongoing”.

She later reinstated the position of party whip, meaning she can retire as a Labor MP, but will not be able to stand for the party in the general election. She told the BBC: “Although the whip has been reinstated, I am forbidden from getting up. »

In the letter that led to her suspension, Ms. Abbott suggested that Jews are not subject to the same racism as some other minorities.

He says the Jewish, Irish and Traveler communities have suffered “prejudice”, but adds: “This amounts to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable.”

Ms. Abbott added: “It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not subjected to racism all their lives.”