Jeremy Corbyn should be allowed back into the Labour Party if Burnham becomes leader, says Rachael Maskell MP

Labour MP Rachael Maskell has said that if Andy Burnham becomes the next Labour leader, figures like Jeremy Corbyn should be allowed back into the party. 

In an interview with LFF Live last night, Maskell said that she hoped Burnham would be able to encourage left-wing figures who are no longer in the party to rejoin.

The York Central MP said she believed Corbyn, who is now parliamentary leader of Your Party, should be allowed back into the Labour Party “should he choose to do that”.

Keir Starmer expelled Corbyn from Labour in May 2024 in order to “tear antisemitism out of our party by the roots”.

Maskell told Left Foot Forward that the Islington MP should be allowed to rejoin because “injustices had been served against Jeremy Corbyn”,  citing the findings of Al Jazeera’s The Labour Files, The Fraud by Paul Holden and Labour Together documents. 

“I do believe there should be a day when justice is served, and as a result of that, I do believe that Jeremy should be allowed back into the Labour Party,” Maskell said.

The Labour MP said “we want to build a broad coalition with progressive people”.

She added: “I very much hope there will be a day when people like Jeremy Corbyn and so many people that are no longer in the Labour family will be able to call Labour their home. 

“I really hope that Andy is able to draw them back in, if he gets the leadership, […] [and] rebuild our party into that mass movement of progress across our society again.”

However, reporting by the Jewish Chronicle earlier this week has indicated that Burnham won’t support allowing Corbyn back into the party if he becomes leader.

Burnham is Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election, but will first have to win that race and then beat Starmer in a leadership contest to become leader.

John McDonnell MP said in a Times Radio interview that the former Labour leader should be able to rejoin the party if Burnham becomes leader.

McDonnell was criticised by fellow Labour MP David Taylor for calling for Corbyn to be readmitted, who said: “Was it progressive when the Party was investigated for antisemitism under Corbyn? He was kicked out of the Party for a reason. He must never come back.”

Starmer also suspended Diane Abbott, a veteran Labour MP and Corbyn ally, from the party in July last year after she repeated comments she had previously made about racism.

Abbott said that people of colour experienced racism “all their lives”, which was different from the ‘prejudice’ experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers.

Responding to her suspension at the time, civil rights group Black Equity Organisation said her suspension was “disproportionate”.

They said: “It is profoundly troubling that a pioneering Black leader, and Mother of the House, who has endured decades of racist and misogynistic abuse, and who helped lead the way for others in political life, is now subject to disproportionate treatment.”

Watch the full interview:

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward