Sir Keir Starmer has said Diane Abbott is “free” to stand as a Labor candidate at the general election, following growing concerns about a purge of the left.
Labor is now facing the wrath of prominent black personalities who have signed an open letter condemning the party’s “disgraceful” treatment of the Hackney North MP and warning of the loss of loyal supporters.
The controversy continues as Labor replaced pro-Palestinian Muslim candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green Faiza Shaheen with a member of the Jewish Labor Movement Shama Tatler.
This came after much criticism from Muslim groups and the left of the party over Starmer’s position on Israel.
Adding fuel to the fire, Sir Keir’s leader admitted he would work with Donald Trump if he entered the White House, despite facing an “unprecedented” situation.
He added that he “respects the court’s decision” that found Trump Donald Trump is guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying company records as part of a conspiracy to corrupt.
Breaking: Starmer says Diane Abbott is free to stand as Labor candidate
After days of intense speculation, Sir Keir Stamer has confirmed that Diane Abbott is free to stand as a candidate in the general election.
He said: “Diane was elected in 1987. The first black female Member of Parliament. She has been a pioneer.
“She set a path for other people to get into politics and public life. The whip has now clearly been handed back to her and she is free to continue as a Labor candidate.”
Asked whether he understands Ms Abbott’s intention to run, he said: “She is free to run for Labour. The whip is back on her. It has been repaired. And of course you know that she was a pioneer for many, many years and paved the way for others to get into politics.
“So, formally a matter for the NEC, I have not yet expressed a position. She is free to stand as a candidate for the Labor Party.”
Salma OuaguiraMay 31, 2024 1:47 PM
Opinion: Keir Starmer is already the ‘winner’ of next week’s TV election debate
On Tuesday – for the third time in British history – the two leading candidates for the premiership will face each other live on television. Chief political commentator John Rentoul predicts a new boost for Labour:
Maryam Zakir-HusseinMay 31, 2024 3:20 PM
Starmer’s £20k glows: Labor peer promises thousands for Keir’s ‘workwear’
Just days after Sir Keir Starmer was spotted wearing a £500 hoodie from luxury French fashion house Sandro, it has emerged that a colleague has donated almost £20,000 to help the Labor leader bounce back ahead of the election, reports Jabed Ahmed. Former ASOS chairman Waheed Alli, who sits in the House of Lords, gave the stylish Starmer £16,200 for ‘workwear’ and a further £2,485 for ‘multiple pairs of glasses’, according to the latest update to his register of interest.
The Labor leader appears to have put that donation to good use after donning a chic Sandro Orion jacket – currently on sale for £519 at Harrods – as he met voters in Brighton and vowed to tackle the cost of living crisis to take.
The donations were received and pledged on April 17 and April 29 by Lord Alli, the former boss of Chorion, fashion retailer Koovs, and chairman of online clothing giant ASOS.
Salma OuaguiraMay 31, 2024 3:19 PM
Conservatives: ‘Starmer is a weak leader who has lost control’
The Conservatives have said Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to reselect Diane Abbott showed he is “a weak leader” who “lost control”.
The party has accused the Labor leader of being “pushed by Angela Rayner”.
A party spokesman said: “Under pressure he is showing himself to be a weak leader who is losing control of the Labor Party.
“That makes it even clearer that you don’t know what you’re going to get if Keir Starmer becomes Prime Minister – apart from higher taxes for you and your family.”
Salma OuaguiraMay 31, 2024 3:13 PM
‘The extreme left is crying with indignation. And Starmer folds,” says Tory MP
Labor is facing a cross-party backlash after Starmer’s U-turn against Diane Abbott.
Conservative former immigration secretary Robert Jenrick condemned the decision and said the party had not changed.
Mr Jenrick said: “A year ago, Starmer rightly suspended Diane Abbott for reducing antisemitism. This week, Starmer’s team made it clear that she will not be readmitted.
“The far left is howling with outrage. And Starmer folds. Labor has not changed.”
Salma OuaguiraMay 31, 2024 3:03 PM
We should never have experienced this,” says NEC member
Senior NEC member Mish Rahman has said Diane Abbott should never have gone through this, after Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the MP is free to stand as a candidate for the party.
Mr Rahman wrote: “For months and months Starmer has falsely claimed that it was an independent process and that he was not involved.
“Then he said it was NEC’s fault. That has now been exposed for the lie that it was as he has now decided for himself that she will be a candidate. Not the NEC.
“This is a sensible decision and we all know it was an act of self-destruction and completely avoidable.
“Diane Abbott should never have gone through this.”
Salma OuaguiraMay 31, 2024 3:00 PM
Pictured: Sir Ed Davey’s extreme sport today is baking with students
Salma OuaguiraMay 31, 2024 2:32 PM
Iain Dale quits Tunbridge Wells election race after three days as embarrassing LBC radio clip resurfaces
It came after a clip of him For the Many podcast from 2022 was widely shared in which he said he was living in Tunbridge Wells “somewhat against my will”.
Maryam Zakir-HusseinMay 31, 2024 2:20 PM
Supporters of Faiza Shaheen announce rally calling for her ‘immediate reinstatement’
Supporters of Faiza Shaheen have announced a rally in support of her candidacy for the general elections.
Protest organizers have said they will gather outside a supermarket in Highams Park, in the Chingford and Woodford Green constituency.
Ms Shaheen had hoped to contest the north London seat as a Labor candidate, taking on Conservative incumbent Iain Duncan Smith, but the party is said to have stopped her from ignoring previous posts on social media website X.
In a statement, organizers said: “We are shocked by the treatment of Faiza Shaheen, who was democratically selected to represent our community. We call for her immediate reinstatement as a Labor Party candidate and the right to vote for her as our local MP.”
Labor has since announced Shama Tatler as its candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green.
Activists held a rally in support of Diane Abbott’s candidacy in Hackney earlier this week. Hackney North and Stoke Newington hopefuls are “free” to stand as Labor candidates in the general election, party leader Sir Keir Starmer confirmed this afternoon.
Maryam Zakir-HusseinMay 31, 2024 2:10 PM
Former Labor MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle says the party has turned him into a ‘sacrificial lamb’
Former Labor MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle says the party has made him a “sacrificial lamb” after he was suspended following a complaint about his conduct. The MP for Brighton Kemptown will not be able to stand as a candidate in the July 4 general election. He described the complaint as ‘vexatious and politically motivated’. “They could have stood me up afterwards and investigated, as they will do with many complaints. There is no allegation that I am a current danger to anyone or to the campaign,” Russell-Moyle told Politics Live on Friday, May 31. “[Labour] if that were the case, it would not have handled these complaints in this way [Sir Keir Starmer].”
Maryam Zakir-HusseinMay 31, 2024 2:08 PM