Diane Abbott, the trailblazing black woman who made history as the first to be elected to the UK Parliament, faced suspension from the Labour Party last year.
Her suspension came after she penned a letter in The Guardian suggesting that Jewish people do not encounter racism, but rather face prejudice akin to that experienced by “redheads.”
Despite the controversy, Abbott continued to serve as an independent Member of Parliament (MP) for over a year while the party’s national executive committee conducted an investigation.
On Tuesday evening, it was reported that Abbott had regained the Labour whip, opening the door for her to run as a Labour candidate once again in her Hackney North constituency during the upcoming July election.
However, conflicting reports emerged, suggesting that she might still be barred from standing. In response, Abbott expressed her dismay and believed the reports to be accurate.
To clear up the confusion, Sir Keir Starmer addressed the situation on Wednesday afternoon. He confirmed that Diane Abbott was not prohibited from standing for Labour:
“’The whip has been restored to Diane Abbott, as you know,” he stated. “So she remains a member of the parliamentary Labour Party. No decision has been made to prevent her from moving forward.”
As of now, Ms. Abbott has not officially announced whether she will seek re-election to defend her seat.
Meanwhile, her close friend and former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who faced suspension and subsequent disqualification from standing for Labour due to an antisemitism controversy, is running as an independent candidate in the neighboring Islington North constituency.