Why was Diane Abbott suspended and will she run as a Labour MP?

Then on Friday he said she could stand as the party’s candidate for Hackney and Stoke Newington, the constituency she has held for 37 years.

So how did the dispute start and what happens now?

What did Diane Abbott say?

The 70-year-old Labour politician was expelled from the party for making remarks about the Jewish community in a letter to The Observer on April 23, 2023.

Ms Abbott, who served as shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, said that while white people “with differences” may face prejudice, they do not face the same racism as black people.

She compared the discrimination against Jews with the prejudices faced by redheads.

“It is true that many white people with distinctive characteristics, such as redheads, can be subject to this prejudice,” she wrote.

“But they are not exposed to racism their whole lives. In America before the civil rights movement, Irish, Jews and Travellers did not have to sit at the back of the bus.”

The comments came in response to an article by Tomiwa Owolade in which Jews were listed among the people most frequently targeted by racist attacks.

The problem of anti-Semitism has long plagued the Labour Party and Sir Keir vowed he would “rip out the poison” after taking over the leadership from Mr Corbyn.

How did Labour respond to your comments?

Labour came under pressure to take action, with Tory MP Grant Shapps, then Energy Secretary and now Defence Secretary, asking: “Keir Starmer, are you actually going to do something?”

The party condemned Ms Abbott’s “deeply offensive” comments and confirmed that parliamentary violence had been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

Mrs Abbott apologised for any “inconvenience” and said there were “errors” in her first draft of the letter to the newspaper.

“I would like to completely and unreservedly withdraw and distance myself from my written remarks,” she wrote on Twitter.

“The errors occurred in a first draft that was sent out. But there is no excuse and I would like to apologize for any distress caused.”

What happened this week? Will she run as a Labour MP?

On Tuesday, BBC Newsnight reported that the years-long investigation into Ms Abbott was due to conclude in December 2023, despite Sir Keir saying in March that an independent process was underway.

Newsnight reported that Ms Abbott had taken part in a two-hour online anti-Semitism awareness training course following a decision by the Labour Party’s national executive committee.

Later, claims emerged that although Mrs Abbott was due to regain her parliamentary confidence, the party leadership had decided that she could not stand as a Labour candidate on July 4.

Labour sources told The Telegraph that senior figures in the party had been trying to arrange a “soft landing” for the MP so that she could “leave with dignity” and hope she would retire from politics once party rule was reinstated.

This sparked a fierce reaction within the party, with MPs, trade unions and members of the Labour leadership committee questioning Sir Keir’s leadership and handling of the case.

Ms Abbott vowed to remain MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington and suggested that if she were not allowed to stand as a Labour MP she might choose to stand as an independent.

Sir Keir denied for days that Mrs Abbott had been disqualified from standing as a Labour MP, saying “no decision has been made”.

However, on Friday he told reporters: “Obviously she has now been given the confidence of the party back and can stand as a Labour candidate.”

Who supported Mrs Abbott?

Ms Abbott was able to secure the support of a large number of Labour MPs, including senior party figures.

Sir Keir’s authority was directly challenged by Mrs Rayner, who said her veteran left-wing colleague should be allowed to stand in the election.

The Labour Party’s deputy leader broke ranks, saying she could see “no reason” why Ms Abbott should not stand for the party and said she was “not happy” about the “disgraceful” anonymous briefings on the matter.

Other senior Labour politicians, including Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, also expressed their support.

What does this mean for Ms Abbott’s political career?

Ms Abbott became Labour MP for Hackney and Stoke Newington in 1987 and served as a shadow minister under Mr Corbyn from 2016 to 2020. She is both the first black woman elected to Parliament and the longest-serving black MP, as she is of British-Jamaican descent.

Following Sir Keir’s comments, The Telegraph learned from sources that Ms Abbott would be the party’s candidate in Hackney North and Stoke Newington on July 4.

However, Mrs Abbott has not yet commented and could still decide to resign.