Diane Abbott not barred from standing for Labour, says Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer says it is ‘not true’ that Diane Abbott is barred from standing as a Labour candidate. Speaking to broadcasters, the Labour leader said: ‘No decision has been taken to bar Diane Abbott. The process that we were going through ended with the restoration of the whip the other day, so she’s a member of the parliamentary Labour party and no decision has been taken barring her.’ The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP was suspended in April 2023 for comments she made about racism. Earlier she said she was ‘very dismayed’ by reports that she would not be allowed to stand for election
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