In April 2023, Diane Abbott wrote to The Observer newspaper saying that Irish people, Jews and Travellers did not experience the same degree of racism as black people. Labour withdrew the whip following its publication. Abbott withdrew her remarks and apologised but it was not enough. The Labour machine seems adamant that Diane Abbot will not be allowed to stand again as a Labour candidate. On 19 September Abbot broke ranks on Twitter to denounce her unfair treatment by the Labour Party:
“As a Black woman, and someone on the left of the Labour Party, I have unfortunately been forced to reach the conclusion that I will not get a fair hearing from this Labour leadership.”
The Socialist Campaign Group, Diane Abbot’s group in the Parliamentary Labour Party has been particularly weak in its response to the latest attack on one of its members. Abbot now joins Corbyn on the naughty step, together with thousands of other less well-known members and ex-members who are suspended, expelled or have walked away from the Labour Party in disgust. From the LILA website, we join Diane Abbot in protesting against the ongoing purge of the left in the Labour Party and we salute her many years of service and anti-racist witness in British politics.