Politics
Diane Abbott officially confirmed as Labour candidate for Hackney and Stoke Newington
Ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will contest seat for the party
June 4, 2024 13:19
Ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will contest seat for the party
June 4, 2024 13:19Diane Abbott, the veteran left-wing MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, will officially contest the seat for the Labour Party at the upcoming General Election, ending speculation about her future in the party.
Abbott was officially endorsed at a meeting of Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), which met earlier today to confirm the final list of approved candidates who will contest the election on the party’s behalf.
Jess Barnard, a left-wing member of the NEC, posted on X that she was “very pleased to report back to members that Diane Abbott is confirmed as the Labour candidate for Hackney North.”
On Friday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that Abbott would be “free” to stand as a candidate for the party after it was initially reported that she would be prevented from standing for Labour. The north London MP had accused the party’s hierarchy of pursuing a “cull” of left-wingers and at a rally on the steps of Hackney Town Hall she told a crowd of supporters that “as long as it is possible, I will be the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington".
Abbott has represented the fourth-largest Jewish constituency and the largest Charedi community in the country since she elected as the first black woman in parliament in 1987. She was suspended by Labour in April 2023 for writing a letter to the Observer newspaper in which she claimed that Jews did not face racism, only prejudice. Her letter, written in response to author Tomiwa Owolade’s column "Racism in Britain is not a black and white issue. It’s far more complicated" sparked widespread outrage after she compared antisemitism with the type of prejudice that can be suffered by people with red hair. The long-time ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn was forced to apologise at the time. She said that she "wholly and unreservedly” withdrew her remarks and that “the errors arose in an initial draft being sent."
Sir Keir, who condemned her remarks as “antisemitic” at the time, last week praised her as a “trailblazer” who “carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life."