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New Statesman
3 hours ago
- New Statesman
Diane Abbott v the Labour Party
Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas - WPA Pool / Getty Images It has been over two years since Diane Abbott sent that letter to the Observer, in which she argued that while Irish, Jewish and Traveller people could experience 'prejudice', 'they are not all their lives subject to racism', comparing the impact on their lives to the prejudice faced by 'redheads'. At the time, it looked as though that letter might have ended her political career. Having spent the first years of his Labour leadership attempting to purge the party of the anti-Semitism that had plagued it under his predecessor, Keir Starmer's response was swift. Abbott immediately had the Labour whip suspended – a suspension which lasted almost until the 2024 election, raising questions about whether she would even be allowed to stand again as a Labour candidate in Hackney North and Stoke Newington. Abbott did stand, winning her tenth election to become the Mother of the House – the honorific for the longest-serving female MP – and a vocal critic of the government. If her letter had not been forgotten or forgiven, it appeared to have been brushed under the carpet, with all concerned thinking it more expedient to move on. But Abbott herself seems to have other ideas. In an interview today (17 July) on BBC Radio 4's Reflections programme, she was asked about her comments in 2023 – and doubled down on them. 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know,' she said. 'I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. I don't know why people would say that.' In the aftermath of the original row, Abbott withdrew her remarks and apologised 'for any anguish caused'. During her suspension, this apology was noted by those advocated for her to be readmitted into the Labour party. But asked today if she regretted the incident, Abbott responded: 'No, not at all.' The interview has sparked renewed backlash, with calls for her to be suspended again. The Labour Party has said it is looking at the interview 'incredibly seriously', with senior Labour sources saying she is likely to be suspended. But we should not be surprised that Abbott does not regret what she said. Her memoir A Woman Like Me , published in September 2024, made it very clear what she thought about both the letter she wrote and how it was received. She wrote then that while her comments may have been 'ill-judged' and 'clumsy', she stood by them. As in the Reflections interview, she tries to make a distinction between visible and less visible characteristics that might put an individual at risk of a prejudice (an argument which is interesting to consider in light of the demographics of her constituency, which includes the Hasidic community in Stamford Hill whose members are highly identifiable as Jews). Instead of an apology, this passage in the book is an apologia, a defence of the entire incident. The only error Abbott admits to being naïve about what the fall-out might be, which she takes as not a reaction to the implications of what she says but a personal attack: 'The vitriol of the response in the press and the public debate surprised me, although perhaps I should have known by that point not to be surprised by any attacks against me in the media.' Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe If there are any doubts about whether her views might be interpreted as anti-Semitic, she argues these should be cast aside in light of her electoral success in such a Jewish seat: 'If I really did hate Jewish people, I think that after more than thirty years my neighbours and constituents would certainly have worked that out.' Today's interview echoes this argument: 'I do get a bit weary of people trying to pin the anti-Semitic label on me because I've spent a lifetime fighting racism of all kinds and in particular fighting anti-Semitism, partly because of the nature of my constituency.' This was not a case Abbott made while the investigation into her comments was ongoing and she was waiting for the Labour Party to decide whether to restore the whip. There was some confusion over her status in the run-up to the election, with conflicting reports that Abbott had been banned from standing again for Labour (something she is understood to have found out herself via media reports) or that a deal was being brokered to give her back the whip on the understanding she would not seek re-election. Whatever the plan may have been, it went awry – and the result was that Abbott did indeed stand again. If the Labour leadership expected gratitude on her part for this decision, they will have been disappointed. Discussing her book at the Cambridge Literary Festival in April this year, Abbott told the audience: 'I was elected for the tenth time last year, but that was no thanks to the people around Keir Starmer.' 'I could have stood down last year,' she continued, 'but I thought, F you, F you' – a line met with a round of applause. 'If I have to crawl back to parliament on my hands and knees, I'm going back.' Abbott did not choose to bring up the comments that had lead to her suspension in the first place. But had there been an audience question on it, the answer is right there in the book. If she feels emboldened to maintain her side of the story now, it is no wonder. Abbott's position has clearly been strengthened by winning the row over whether she would be allowed to stand: as Mother of the House and a trail-blazing veteran MP, she regularly attacks the Government in the chamber on issues from Gaza to welfare spending, and has so far faced no sanction from her party. In a week in which four Labour MPs have lost the whip due to persistent disobedience, her comments today sent a message to the Labour leadership attempting to stamp out dissent on the backbenches: bring it on. [Further reading: Why Keir Starmer has purged Labour rebels again] Related
Spectator
6 hours ago
- Spectator
Will Labour suspend Diane Abbott – again?
All is not well in Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party. Last night, seven MPs were punished for voting against the government – with four suspended from the party. Today, Diane Abbott is in the firing line after the left-winger was accussed of 'doubling down' on previous claims that Jewish people experience racism differently from black people. Dear oh dear… In 2023, Abbott was suspended from Labour after she wrote a letter to the Observer which insisted that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people 'undoubtedly experience prejudice' that is 'similar to racism' – before adding: 'It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism.' The onetime shadow home secretary was quick to apologise at the time for her unsolicited musings on antisemitism and 'any anguish caused' by the letter, which was withdrawn. Yet on Wednesday this week, when asked on BBC Radio 4 if she regretted her remarks, Abbott replied: 'No, not at all.' That contrition lasted long, eh? The Hackney North MP went on: Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know [their background]. You don't know unless you stop to speak to them or you're in a meeting with them. But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that they're black. They are different types of racism. It hasn't gone down well with Labour bosses, with a party spokesperson remarking: There is no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party. We take these comments incredibly seriously, and will assess them in line with the Labour party's rules and procedures. Uh oh. The Times reports that senior Labour sources expect Abbott to lose the whip, with one commenting that the punishment was for 'doubling down on something she previously had the whip withdrawn for… [she] shouldn't be immune because she's mother of the House'. For her part, the Corbynista has added: I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. I just… I don't know why people would say that. Well, Starmer's army certainly got a taste for discipline last night. Will Abbott become their latest target? Stay tuned…
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Diane Abbott set for fresh Labour showdown after 'no regrets' remark
Diane Abbott said she had no regrets over 2023 comments that led to her suspension - and said the Labour leadership are 'trying to get me out' Labour veteran Diane Abbott looks set for anther showdown with Labour HQ after saying she has "no regrets" over comments that led to her suspension. Ms Abbott had the whip withdrawn after writing a letter to the Observer newspaper comparing racism experienced by people of colour with that seen by other groups. It led to accusations of antisemitism, which the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP has long denied. Asked about the controversy on BBC Radio 4's Reflections programme, she said she did not look back on the incident with regret. She said: "Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know. "I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. I don't know why people would say that." Labour has said it will "assess" Ms Abbott's latest remarks. She apologised for any anguish caused by the 2023 comments. Ms Abbott, the longest-serving female MP, was asked if she would condemn antisemitism in the same way she would condemn racism based on skin colour. She said: "Well of course, and I do get a bit weary of people trying to pin the antisemitic label on me because I've spent a lifetime fighting racism of all kinds and in particular fighting antisemitism, partly because of the nature of my constituency." Ms Abbott said the party leadership had been "trying to get me out". She was only readmitted during the general election campaign last year, when she was permitted to stand for Labour. Her suspension came after she wrote a letter responding to comments that Irish, Traveller and Jewish people experience racism. In that letter she wrote: "They undoubtedly experience prejudice. This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable. "It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. " Following her latest remarks, a Labour source said: "There is no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party. We take these comments incredibly seriously, and will assess them in line with Labour Party's rules and procedures." It comes a day after Labour suspended the whip from four MPs accused of persistent breaches of party discipline. Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchliff, Brian Leishman and Rachael Maskell were critical of the Government's welfare reforms and took part in a rebellion of over 40 MPs earlier this month. Responding to criticism of their suspension, Labour frontbencher Jess Phillips said: "I think that constantly taking to the airwaves, and slagging off your own government, I have to say, what did you think was going to happen?" Ms Abbott has repeatedly criticised Keir Starmer and the Government frontbench, accusing the PM of trying to echo Reform. And during a debate on the Goverment's welfare reforms she said: "There is nothing moral about cutting benefits for what may be up to a million people. This is not about morality, this is about the Treasury's wish to balance the country's books on the back of the most vulnerable people and poor people in this society".
