Sad if Diane Abbott ends career not a Labour MP, says Harman

One of Labour’s most senior MPs has said she would be sad if Diane Abbott’s career ends without her being readmitted to the parliamentary party.

Ex-deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman told the BBC Ms Abbott was “an amazing trailblazer” but said the party must investigate her according to its rules.

Labour suspended Ms Abbott, who now sits as an independent MP, over alleged antisemitic comments.

Ms Abbott withdrew her remarks and apologised “for any anguish caused”.

She was suspended by Labour in April 2023 having written in the Observer newspaper that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people “undoubtedly experience prejudice”, which she said is “similar to racism”.

“But they are not all their lives subject to racism,” she added.

Ms Abbott has been forced into the spotlight this week over allegedly racist comments made about her by top Tory donor Frank Hester.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Harman said: “I would be sad if Diane Abbott ends her political career – and she has been an amazing trailblazer – not a member of the Labour Party, which is how she came into politics in the first place.”

But she added Labour has “an independent complaints process and I don’t like to second guess them”.

“I very strongly support Keir Starmer’s Drive against antisemitism – it had to be rooted out of the party,” she said.

Ms Harman, the UK’s longest-serving female MP, joins a growing number of Labour figures who have spoken about Ms Abbott’s case to be re-admitted to the party.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told reporters she would “like to see” Diane Abbott back as a Labour MP, while Brent Central’s Dawn Butler said: “Diane needs to have the whip returned.”

Former Labour cabinet minister Ed Balls said Ms Abbott should be “brought back” instead of being “left alone” after her apology.

It is understood that Ms Abbott asked Sir Keir to readmit her to the Parliamentary Labour Party when he approached her after Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions.

The leader had reportedly asked if there was anything he could do to help during the backlash following Mr Hester’s comments reported by the Guardian.

Sir Keir told the BBC that Ms Abbott cannot re-join the party while an independent investigation into her comments was in progress.

Shadow cabinet minister Jonathan Ashworth said it was important not to intervene in that investigation but said he was “not casually indifferent to what has gone on, not just this week but the abuse that Diane has had over many, many years”.

Ms Abbott was “a good colleague – I am in awe of everything she has achieved over many years,” he said.

But he added “these processes have to be free from political interference”.

Mr Ashworth said he hoped the 11-month long investigation into Ms Abbott would conclude before the general election – expected in the second half of this year.

Asked about Ms Abbott’s accusations of racism within Labour, Mr Ashworth said: “We must challenge Islamophobia and antisemitism if we see that in our party as we do when we see it in society at large,” he added.