Sir Keir Starmer has denied he is targeting left-wing Labour MPs after Diane Abbott was suspended following comments about racism. The Hackney MP suggested Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism “all their lives” in a letter to The Observer newspaper. Ms Abbott apologised, claiming she had mistakenly sent an early version of her comments. Sir Keir said she was suspended over antisemitism. Sir Keir Starmer has faced persistent claims that he is carrying out a purge of left-wing MPs and candidates as he attempts to shift the party back to the centre ground. He denied this in an interview with BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine.
“In both of those cases, Jeremy and Diane, it’s an antisemitism issue,” Sir Keir said. “I was very clear, I think it was the first thing I said as Labour leader, which was I would tear antisemitism out by its roots from our party. “And I asked all those that had lost confidence in Labour because of antisemitism to judge me by my actions, not by my words. “There aren’t many people going out saying that it’s possible to defend what Diane Abbott said last weekend.”
Ms Abbott, who was shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, and made history as the UK’s first black female MP in 1987, apologised for her comments. She claimed she had sent an early draft of her letter to the Observer in error. In a statement, Ms Abbott said: “I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them. “Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish People have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Traveller and many others.” Left-wing activist group Momentum have called for Ms Abbott to be reinstated as a Labour MP. In statement, the group said: “Diane was right to apologise for her comments this morning. The Party should now accept the apology and restore the whip.”
‘Icon’
The national vice chair of Jewish Labour, Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, formerly Ruth Smeeth, called the fallout from Ms Abbott’s comments “depressing”. The former MP, who was critical of Labour’s response to antisemitism under Mr Corbyn, nonetheless described Ms Abbott as “an icon”. In an interview for GB News – to be broadcast on Sunday – she said: “We need to find a way through this. We need to find a way through where there is a level of dignity for Diane too, because it’s really important for her community.”
Labour critics of Ms Abbott have not reached a consensus on what should happen next. Some say her comments are part of a pattern of recent behaviour and want the suspension of the whip to stay in place to prevent her standing as a Labour candidate at the next general election. Others, though, are concerned she could become a “martyr” of the party’s left wing. The preferred course for them is that she agrees to stand down at the next election and the whip is restored. But there is no indication that Ms Abbott would be willing to do so. In April, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) voted 22 to 12 to approve a motion from Sir Keir to prevent Labour endorsing Mr Corbyn as a candidate for the party at the next election. There is no right of appeal. Mr Corbyn was already suspended from being a Labour MP and sits as an independent following a row over antisemitism.
The Labour leadership has faced accusations of blocking potential candidates from the party’s left, and some party figures fear Labour will be less of a broad church in the future. Allies of Sir Keir argue that they’re simply trying to ensure the quality of Labour politicians is high, but others see it as an attempt to shift the party away from the Jeremy Corbyn era, labelling it a “purge”. Sir Keir Starmer sacked transport spokesman Sam Tarry for doing interviews for “making up policy on the hoof” during interviews while on the picket line during train strikes in July 2022. But supporters of Mr Tarry have claimed he was sacked for pushing left-wing policies. Mr Tarry was later deselected by his local constituency party – preventing him for standing for re-election as a Labour candidate in the same seat.
