“The fact that a year on, she’s still outside the PLP, my personal view is she should be brought back following that apology & she should be supported & defended rather than left on her own, which is what’s happening at the moment.”
Ed Balls
By Matt Willgress, Labour Outlook
Ed Balls has called on Keir Starmer to give Diane Abbott the Labour Party whip back as a show of support following vile racist comments being directed at her.
The former Shadow Chancellor said the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP should not be “left on her own” after Tory donor Frank Hester was reported to have said she made him “want to hate all black women” and “should be shot”.
In full he said, “the fact that a year on, she’s still outside the PLP, my personal view is she should be brought back following that apology and she should be supported and defended rather than left on her own, which is what’s happening at the moment.”
His views were echoed by former Deputy Leader Harriet Harman, whose comments can be found on this BBC report here and publicly gave support to Diane against the hate she has been on the end of from Hester.
Former Political Secretary to Tony Blair John McTernan repeated his previous calls for the whip the be restored on X/Twitter, saying “Time to give Diane Abbott back the Labour whip. No better time to show solidarity!”
And a ‘Guardian’ Editorial said that “It was good to hear Sir Keir Starmer defend Ms Abbott, who lost the Labour whip 11 months ago for writing an ill-judged letter to the Observer,” and “It’s high time she was allowed to sit again on the Labour benches, in a pluralistic Labour party.”
Dawn Butler MP also made clear her support in a clip that can be viewed on ‘The Independent’ here.
Former leader of the Scottish Labour Party Richard Leonard MSP also said the whip should be restored.
The call for the whip to be restored was again made on the Left of Labour by another former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who pointed out that “Members on the Left, Right & Centre of the Labour Party are calling for the whip to be restored to Diane Abbott.”
Labour NEC member Mish Rahman meanwhile said that “The least the Labour Party can do is restore the whip, stand in solidarity with Diane Abbott and support her other than to just call the Tories out.”
Campaigning groups Momentum and the Labour Assembly Against Austerity also re-iterated their support.
We give the final word to Jeremy Corbyn – and join him in full solidarity with Diane, a true inspiration and trailblazer.
- You can sign a Restore the Whip to Diane Abbott petition addressed to Keir Starmer here. There is also a petition from last year from Labour Black Socialists here.
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