Quite some debacle, and there's no other word for it, around Diane Abbott and how she has been treated beyond shabbily by the Starmer Labour Party. On so many levels this is a terrible injustice to someone who has been a hard working campaigner and member and representative of the BLP. Even the idea that she should have to retire at this election, which appears to have been part of some 'deal', is dismal - that's her decision. She was good enough as an MP in the Labour Party led by Kinnock, Smith, Blair and Miliband, she most certainly is good enough to remain one in Starmer's. That her offence was dealt with, as it should have been, immediately by her apology merely underscores how unfair and malign this all is. The Guardian editorial noted:
Ms Abbott has had to endure an unbelievable amount of racism and misogynist abuse. During the 2017 election campaign, she received 45% of all of the abusive tweets sent to female MPs. Her humiliation since last year by the party speaks of a lack of humanity. It is also disrespectful to an MP who became the first black person to represent Labour at prime minister's questions. Politics is a rough trade. Sir Keir, in March, rightly defended Ms Abbott as a "trailblazer" who has inspired others. This came after the Conservative party's biggest donor was reported as saying that she "should be shot". Voters wouldn't have expected anything less. Yet they might be surprised to know that the Labour leader had ignored her pleas for the whip to be returned.
All this casts the Labour party in a poor light. Sir Keir should be concentrating on winning power rather than becoming distracted by rows over MP selections. He has made his point about turning the page on the leadership of his leftwing predecessor. But it is a strategic error of judgment to believe that purging the party of dissent will help him connect with voters.
What did those in the BLP leadership think would happen, that people would slink away quietly? Why, after a lifetime of work in the BLP, would anyone do that? To not realise that such actions would have reactions - at any time, but particularly and inevitably during the election campaign, derailing the push to win it, suggests quite some level of crass stupidity. And now we see other candidates blocked from standing for a range of offences that seem absurdly minimal. To seem oblivious to how this would play with black Labour voters and supporters and representatives suggests Olympian detachment, and indifference to them. And it's not the BLP alone, but quite rightly and naturally well beyond it. And voters do take note.
Chris Mullin has an excellent piece here.
The Tories must be delighted that for once they're off the hook.
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