The Labour leader has said "no decision has been taken" to stop Abbott from standing
The Labour leader Keir Starmer has denied that Diane Abbott has been barred from standing as a Labour candidate in the upcoming general election.
Starmer told journalists this afternoon that “no decision has been taken” to prevent Abbott from standing as a Labour candidate.
This follows Abbott telling the BBC this morning that she was banned from standing for Labour.
Abbott had been sitting as an independent MP since April 2023 after she had the whip removed following a letter published under her name in the Observer which implied that Jews, Irish people and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people do not experience racism. She immediately apologised after the letter’s publication, saying: “I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociated myself from them.”
On Tuesday 28 May, Abbott had the Labour whip restored. Reports suggested that, despite this, she would still be prevented from being a Labour candidate at the upcoming election. She went on to tell the BBC earlier today, “I am banned from standing as a Labour candidate”, and later tweeted “I am very dismayed that numerous reports suggest I have been barred as a candidate.”
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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