Clive Lewis MP calls on Andy Burnham to restore whip to Diane Abbott and ask Jeremy Corbyn if he wants to rejoin Labour

Clive Lewis MP has called on Andy Burnham to allow Diane Abbott back into the Labour Party, and ask Jeremy Corbyn if he wants to rejoin.

The Labour MP for Norwich South made clear that Abbott “should not still be suspended”.

“She should be brought back in,” he said, adding that Burnham “has been clear that Faiza Shaheen and I believe Diane Abbott, that they should be back inside the party if they want”. 

Abbott was suspended for the second time by Keir Starmer in July last year over comments she made about how people of colour experience racism “all their lives”, and that it is different from the “prejudice” experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers.

Abbott told Channel 4’s Matt Frei that she would like Burnham to reinstate her as a Labour MP. The Hackney North MP has separately said she thinks Burnham should hold a leadership election, instead of just taking over a prime minister. 

Lewis thinks that Burnham should ask Jeremy Corbyn if he wants to rejoin “give his service” and “if that becomes a controversial issue, then ask the membership”. 

The Norwich South MP said he is “pleased” that Burnham said in his speech on Monday that while the “destination” of his government would not be up for discussion “how we get there” is. 

Lewis said Burnham’s approach to party culture is “a sea change from the draconian top-down authoritarianism of Starmer”. 

He added: “That kind of implies you’re not going to be kicked out for discussing things like Gaza or other issues which have been shut down inside the party under the current leadership.”

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward