‘I will not let myself be intimidated’: Diane Abbott insists she will stand for election after being ‘barred’ by Labour

29 May 2024, 19:19 | Updated: 30 May 2024, 05:05

'Diane Abbott has always been standing up and has always been put down.'

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Diane Abbott has insisted she will stand as an MP following reports she has been "barred" by the Labour leadership from standing under the party's banner.

"For as long as it is possible, I will be the member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington," Ms Abbott said on the steps of Hackney Town hall.

Ms Abbott claimed earlier today that she had been "banned" from standing as a Labour candidate in July's General Election.

This is despite the Labour whip being restored last night following an investigation into comments she made about the Jewish community.

Ms Abbott said this morning: "Although the whip has been restored, I am banned from standing as a Labour candidate."

But the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has insisted "this is not true" and that "no decision has been made".

Ms Abbott insisted this evening that she was "shocked" to learned she would be banned.

"They haven't personally communicated with me personally," she added.

She went on to confirm her statement writing online this morning: "Naturally I am delighted to have the Labour Whip restored and to be a member of the PLP.

"Thank you to all those who supported me along the way. I will be campaigning for a Labour victory. But I am very dismayed that numerous reports suggest I have been barred as a candidate."

Labour sources told The Telegraph that senior figures in the party are trying to reach a “soft landing” for the MP whereby she can “go with grace”.

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Sir Keir has come under pressure over Diane Abbott's candidacy, after it emerged she had the Labour whip restored on Tuesday following its withdrawal in April last year over comments she made about racism.

The Labour leader continued to refuse to say whether the veteran MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington would be allowed to stand under his party's banner on July 4.

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He faced renewed questions after it was reported an internal investigation into Ms Abbott was completed five months ago, but insisted the matter would be resolved by Labour's National Executive Committee "in due course".

Former Labour leader and independent MP Jeremy Corbyn has told LBC's Fraser Knight he will support Ms Abbott as she plans to stand to be the MP for Hackney North. 

"I've spent my life fighting for justice, peace and socialism - sometimes you have to fight back against the people who attack us. It's not me they are attacking, or Diane they are attacking, it's the people here," Mr Corbyn told LBC. 

Corbyn's message to Starmer

"The Labour party ought to be a broad church and any movement that tends to represent working class has to be a broad inclusive church. You don't achieve things by driving people out  - only by bringing people in," the former Labour leader said.