Diane Abbott 'free' to stand as Labour candidate in General Election, Keir Starmer confirms
31 May 2024, 13:48 | Updated: 31 May 2024, 15:32
Diane Abbott is "free" to stand as a Labour candidate in the General Election, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The Labour leader told reporters: "The whip has obviously been restored to her now and she is free to go forward as a Labour candidate."
On Friday, Sir Keir praised the Labour veteran as a "trailblazer", saying: "Diane Abbott was elected in 1987, the first black woman MP.
"She has carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life."
He had previously refused to say whether Ms Abbot would be defending her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat when the country goes to the polls on 4th July as he faced claims of a "purge" of left-wing candidates.
In response to the news, Ms Abbott said her local party selected her as their candidate in 2022.
"But I will not be the official candidate until I am endorsed by the Labour National Executive at its meeting on Tuesday. So I am not saying anything until then".
Ms Abbott was suspended from Labour last year after she suggested Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism, sparking a long-running process which saw her sit as an Independent MP.
On Tuesday, it emerged she had the Labour whip restored but it was briefed out that she might be "barred" from running for the party in the upcoming election.
Labour sources said Ms Abbott will be the Labour candidate in her long-held constituency and Labour's ruling National Executive Committee is expected to support her candidacy.
Diane Abbott says she 'will be campaigning for a Labour victory' at the upcoming election
