Labour informed Diane Abbott, the UK’s first Black woman elected to Parliament and its longest-serving Black MP, that she cannot stand for re-election. The party conveyed the decision to the press before telling Abbott herself, marking what appears to be the end of her 37-year parliamentary career under the Labour banner. Abbott expressed her disappointment, stating,
“Naturally I am delighted to have the Labour Whip restored and to be a member of the PLP. Thank you to all those who supported me along the way. I will be campaigning for a Labour victory. But I am very dismayed that numerous reports suggest I have been barred as a candidate.”
Racist Abuse Directed at Diane Abbott
Earlier this year, in a shocking revelation, it came to light that the Conservative Party’s biggest donor, Frank Hester, made blatantly racist and misogynistic threats about Diane Abbott during a 2019 meeting.
The Guardian reported that Hester said looking at Abbott made him ‘want to hate all Black women’ and that she ‘should be shot.’ Those reprehensible comments prompted widespread condemnation across the political spectrum.
Initially, Downing Street and Conservative ministers hesitated to criticize Hester directly. However, after intense pressure from senior politicians, including Kemi Badenoch, Kwasi Kwarteng, and William Hague, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak finally described Hester’s remarks as “racist and wrong.” Despite this acknowledgment, Hester’s substantial donations to the Conservative Party, totaling £10 million, remain a point of contention. Abbott, understandably distressed, reported the comments to the Metropolitan police, highlighting the personal threat she felt as a single black woman. Labour leader Keir Starmer called the remarks “abhorrent” and demanded the Conservatives return Hester’s donations.
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Timeline of Internal Party Struggles with Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott’s trials do not end with external attacks. Within her own party, she has faced considerable abuse and marginalization. The Labour Party suspended Abbott last April over a letter she wrote to The Observer. This letter, which suggested that Jewish people do not face the same racism as some other minorities, was a response to a specific article in The Guardian that argued that GRT (Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller), Irish, and Jewish people were the most likely to experience racism.
Entirely understandable that Diane felt the need to respond. Abbott’s point was that people of colour suffer continual racism because they can’t mask their ethnicity in public, whereas people from white minorities are able to ‘come out’ as and when they feel safe to do so. Her underlying point is objectively correct. Those who can ‘pass for white’ will overwhelmingly not face the same frequency of racist targeting. Although Abbott apologized and clarified that the letter was an initial draft, the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, suspended her and placed her under investigation.
The Unjust Treatment of Diane Abbott
The investigation concluded in December 2023, but Labour only informed Abbott recently that she could retire as an MP and could not stand in the next general election This decision effectively ends her 37-year political career unless she runs as an independent. Jacqueline McKenzie and other friends and supporters of Abbott accused Starmer of dishonesty and expressed shock at his handling of the situation.
In a particularly humiliating episode, Abbott stood 46 times in a parliamentary debate about the abuse she suffered, yet Speaker Lindsay Hoyle repeatedly ignored her. Hoyle’s actions, widely perceived as doing Starmer’s bidding, exemplify the British establishment’s ongoing racism and misogyny.
Double Standards in Labour and the Embracing of Controversial Figures
Natalie Elphicke was suspended from the House of Commons for trying to improperly influence the judge in her now ex-husband’s sexual assault case. Yet, she was welcomed with open arms onto the Labour benches. Neil Coyle made racially disparaging comments to a journalist of colour and had a complaint of sexual harassment upheld against him. His apology was accepted, and he was welcomed back into the Labour Party. Barry Sheerman, a pro-Starmer MP, joked about a “run on silver shekels” when two Jewish businessmen missed out on peerages. He apologized, and there was no further action.
Diane Abbott did everything asked of her and apologized, yet Keir Starmer’s Labour Party ritually humiliated her. The party left the UK’s first Black female MP hanging after decades of service and held her to a harsher standard than her white colleagues.
Implications for Black People in the UK
The treatment of Diane Abbott sends a chilling message to Black people across the UK. Abbott has been a trailblazer, enduring more abuse than perhaps any other politician in recent memory. Her mistreatment by both the Conservative donor and her own party underscores the deep-seated racism and misogyny within British politics.
Black people, who largely support the Labour Party, see Abbott’s experience as a stark warning of how the party might treat them. Abbott stood 46 times to speak, yet others ignored her and spoke over her, creating a damning indictment of the UK’s political climate. The refusal of Starmer’s Labour to support Abbott while embracing figures like Natalie Elphicke, and the brutal treatment she has endured, suggest that the party takes ethnic minority voters for granted. This behavior risks alienating a crucial segment of the Labour base, as many see Abbott’s mistreatment as symptomatic of a broader issue within the party.
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