- There needs to be clarity over whether Diane Abbott will be allowed to run as a Labour candidate.
- Labor leader Keir Starmer is being accused of mistreating Abbott, a pioneering Black MP.
- The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will decide.
- Some say Starmer is removing candidates from the party’s left wing.
Will Diane Abbott be kicked out of Labour? Read on to learn more.
Abbott’s Trailblazing Career
Diane Abbott is a very important person in British politics. Here are some key facts about her:
- She was the first Black woman elected to Parliament in 1987
- She has been the MP (Member of Parliament) for Hackney North and Stoke Newington for 35 years
- She served as the Shadow Home Secretary under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn
Many call Abbott a trailblazer for being the first Black woman MP. But now there are questions about whether she will be allowed to run for re-election as a Labour candidate.
Confusion Over Her Candidacy
There has been a lot of confusion and mixed messages about Abbott’s status as a Labour candidate. Here’s a quick recap:
- In December 2022, an independent process looked at allegations against some Labour members
- It was thought this process would decide if Abbott could run again
- But Labour now says that process is over, and the party’s NEC will choose instead to
- Some Labour members are accusing Starmer of misleading people about how the decision will be made
Mish Rahman, who sits on Labour’s NEC committee, said Starmer is hiding behind process rules instead of being direct about Abbott’s future.
Claims of a ‘Purge’ on the Left
Rahman and others believe Starmer is removing candidates from the left wing of the Labour Party, like a ‘purge.’ They point to examples of left-wing candidates being suspended recently.
Rahman quoted a Labour colleague who had said in 2018 that people were trying to get jobs as MPs while their faction has power nationally. Rahman thinks that’s what’s happening now under Starmer’s leadership.
It’s been suggested that Starmer wants to select parliamentary candidates who support his vision for Labour and remove those further to the left, like Abbott.
Final Decision Coming Soon
So, what will happen with Diane Abbott? According to Rahman, the Labour leadership headed by Starmer will effectively decide whether to include Abbott on the list of approved candidates.
Even though Starmer says the NEC will decide, Rahman claims Starmer controls what the NEC will vote on because his supporters are the majority on the committee.
A meeting of the full NEC to finalize the list of Labour candidates for the next election is expected in the coming week. That’s when Abbott’s fate as a Labour candidate will be determined.
Conclusion
The drama around Diane Abbott’s candidacy has created confusion and allegations of Starmer mistreating the veteran Black MP. While he claims it’s a decision for the party’s governing NEC, others allege Starmer is pulling the strings behind the scenes to remove political candidates he disagrees with.
Will Abbott’s groundbreaking 35-year career as a Labour MP end? The final decision could come as soon as next week.
The screenshot is taken from – bbc.com
