Diane Abbott has said she intends to ‘keep up and win as a Labor candidate’ in the General Election, as she takes up her claim to be offered a seat in the Lords.
Writing on social media, Ms Abbott said reports left-wing MPs had been offered peerages to resign were “absolutely untrue” and insisted ‘I will not accept one’.
It followed a bitter row within the Labor Party over whether to nominate him as a candidate, despite his re-election as an MP earlier this week.
But after days of uncertainty and growing tensions, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said on Friday he was ‘free’ to stand as a candidate.
Now, the veteran Left-wing MP says he wants to ‘run and win’ as the Labor candidate for Hackney North & Stoke Newington.
He said: ‘I have never been offered a seat at Prince’s, and would not accept it if offered.
‘I am the adopted Labor candidate for Hackney North & Stoke Newington. I’m going to run and win as a Labor candidate.’
The Labor Party has yet to comment on the news.
Diane Abbott (pictured) has told her social media followers that she intends to ‘run and win’ as Labor candidate in the General Election.
Ms Abbott said reports left-wing MPs had been offered peerages to resign were ‘absolutely untrue’
Pictured: UK opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during a Labor general election campaign event
Ms Abbott, who was a shadow cabinet minister under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, has represented the seats of Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987.
He was suspended from Labor last year after he suggested Jews, Irish and Travelers suffered prejudice, but not racism, sparking a 13-month investigation which saw him sit as an Independent MP.
Ms Abbott apologized for her remarks and retracted them shortly after they were published.
Baroness Chakrabarti, an Abbott ally, told the BBC today that she had urged her friend to ‘take some time’ to consider whether she wanted to stand for Labor in the General Election.
Speaking Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she said the party’s treatment of her ‘dear friend’ had been ‘appalling’, after several papers reported she had been banned from running.
Earlier this week, Ms Abbott threatened to quit and join ally Jeremy Corbyn to fight Labor amid claims she was barred from running amid ‘disruption’ by her former ally.
In front of around 200 supporters at a rally outside Hackney Town Hall on Wednesday, Ms Abbott vowed to remain an MP ‘at all costs’ and accused the Labor Party of wanting to ‘remove’ her from Parliament.
He accused Sir Keir Starmer of trying to eliminate left-wing candidates.
Image: Diane Abbott standing on the steps of Hackney Town Hall on May 29, 2024
After days of uncertainty, Sir Keir said Ms Abbott was ‘free’ to be Labour’s candidate.
Close allies Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn have previously accused Sir Keir of trying to purge the Left Party.
Former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was himself banned from standing for the party in the general election and is now an independent candidate, claimed Ms Abbott had been ‘disgracefully treated’ by Labor bosses.
Mr Corbyn told the PoliticsJoe website: ‘Diane has been disgracefully treated by the Labor Party and by, in particular, individual national officers of the party – all of them.’
He added: ‘If he comes back, great. Otherwise, they have their own options. But whatever he does, I’ll support him.’
Sir Kier was this week opposed by several key shadow cabinet members including his deputy Ms Rayner who said there was no good reason Ms Abbott could not run.
And Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting admitted he was ‘very unhappy’ with the way Ms Abbott was being treated.
John McTernan, who was Tony Blair’s political secretary, said: ‘It is not for the Labor Party to ban a woman with Diane Abbott’s record from standing for the Labor Party if that is what she wishes to do.’
He added: “This kind of briefing is aimed at humiliating him and shaming him, it’s absolutely disgraceful.
‘Whoever is responsible for this should hang their head in shame.’
For days, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has refused to say whether Ms Abbott will defend her seat on July 4.
However, on Friday he said he was ‘free’ to run after the row over his candidacy overshadowed Labor’s campaign story last week.
Mr Starmer praised her as a ‘trailblazer’, he said: ‘Diane Abbott was elected in 1987, the first black woman MP. He has carved a path for others to enter politics and public life.’
