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Diane Abbott has denied claims she was offered the whip by Labor but refused because she would have to undergo anti-Semitism training.
This comes as Labor leaders appear to be divided over whether to reinstate the long-serving MP into the party.
There has been a backlash against her since she was suspended in April last year for writing a letter published in the Observer suggesting that Jewish, Irish and Traveler people were not subject to racism “all their lives”. Investigation into accusations of Semitism continues.
Following the backlash, Mr Abbott, who has been the independent MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since his suspension, apologized for the “distress” caused and retracted his comments.
This week’s uproar over alleged racist comments by conservative major donor Frank Hester (that he “hates all black women” and “should be shot” because of Abbott) has already led to an investigation into 10 This raises the question of why it took so long.
Hester later apologized for his rude comments, but said his comments had “nothing to do with her gender or the color of her skin.”
Mr Abbott on Friday denied the Independent’s claims, placing some of the blame on his refusal to compromise on training.
Citing unnamed party insiders, the newspaper reported that she would be given the chance to return as a Labor MP if she made a more gracious apology and took an anti-Semitism awareness course.
Mr Abbott, now an independent MP, wrote on his former Twitter account, X:
“I told the reporter that all the material ‘facts’ in his article were false on the record. Instead, it has led with unattributed explanations from Labor sources.
“The facts can be confirmed by the LP. For the record.”
Labor declined to comment “on individual incidents”.
Sir Keir Starmer has said Mr Abbott needs to receive “support” over the abuse he is suffering, but has resisted calls for him to be reinstated as a member of the party.
The Labor leader said on Thursday that her suspension from the Parliamentary Labor Party was a “completely separate matter” and the subject of an independent process separate from his own.
But his deputy, Angela Reiner, was among those who said she wanted Mr Abbott to be allowed back into the party.
Ms Abbott, Britain’s first black female MP, expressed confidence that she will contest the general election later this year as Labor’s candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
Speaking at a rally in support of her in Hackney on Friday night, she told Channel 4 News: “I temporarily lost the whip. But I have full confidence that Keir Starmer will repair it.”
She said the supporters who gathered in Hackney, including Jeremy Corbyn, gave her “a lot of strength after a very difficult week”.
“I am confident that Keir Starmer will see the strength of his emotions and do the right thing.”
Mr Hester responded to comments he made about himself in 2019, in which Chancellor Rishi Sunak described him as a “racist” while refusing to return the £10m he donated to the Conservative Party. “The Conservative Party has not apologized either,” he said.
“They keep saying Hester’s guy is apologizing. He’s not apologizing. He’s apologizing for being rude, but in reality he’s a racist,” Abbott said. Yes, and I’m not apologizing for that.
“In fact, he was inciting violence. He has not apologized for it.”
Sunak insists the healthcare technology entrepreneur‘s apology should be accepted, despite growing calls, including from within his own ranks, for Hester’s donations to be returned.