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Tag: Diane Abbott

  • Diane Abbott suspended by Labour after saying Jewish don’t suffer racism

    Diane Abbott suspended by Labour after saying Jewish don’t suffer racism

    In order to conduct an investigation into the letter Diane Abbott wrote about racism for The Observer newspaper, the Labour Party has suspended her.

    The long-serving MP, who under Jeremy Corbyn served as shadow home secretary, has lost the whip, the party has revealed.

    Ms. Abbott issued an apology for writing a letter to The Observer that implied Irish, Jewish, and Traveller people were not subject to racism “all their lives” just before Opposition Chief Whip Alan Campbell’s decision was made public.

    A Labour spokesman said: ‘The Labour Party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong.

    ‘The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation.’

  • Diane Abbott calls on Labour to stop taking black vote for granted

    Diane Abbott has called for Labour to “stop taking the black vote for granted”.

    Writing for The Independent, Ms Abbott highlighted how she was a member of the first cohort of black MPs in the House of Commons.

    But instead of welcoming her, the Labour Party were “embarrassed”, she writes.

    Ms Abbott, who was shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, said: “We were associated with the ‘loony left’ and the party was anxious to keep us at arm’s length.

    “Us so-called ‘loonies’ were described in this way because we campaigned on race, equality for women and LGBT+ rights.

    “Nowadays, these issues are mainstream.”

    Ms Abbott goes on to criticise the Labour Party for messages highlighted in the Forde report, which included “expressions of visceral disgust, drawing (consciously or otherwise) on racist tropes, and they bear little resemblance to the criticisms of white male MPs elsewhere”.

    She says she has not received an apology from Sir Keir Starmer following the report.

    Ms Abbott goes on: “The Tories have seven black and brown cabinet ministers, and there is not a single white man in one of the great offices of state.

    “An older generation of black and brown voters gave the Labour Party undying support. Younger people see it differently.

    “The Labour Party should stop taking the black vote for granted and thinking that the answer to institutional racism is to revisit the race relations quangos of the 1970s.

    “Black people are tired of warm words. They want respect and practical action.”