Diane Abbott readmitted to Labour after apology over social media post

Jewish groups have expressed their concern at Diane Abbott being readmitted to Labour under Andy Burnham.

The veteran Left-wing MP was suspended from the party in July last year after repeating comments about Jewish people for which she had previously apologised.

The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP was initially stripped of the Labour whip in 2023 over a letter to a newspaper in which she said Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience ’prejudice’ but ’are not all their lives subject to racism’. 

She apologised for those remarks and was readmitted to Labour shortly before the 2024 general election but, in a BBC interview the next year, she defended the initial comments and said she did not regret the incident.

In a separate incident in July last year she also published a social media post in which she referred to the Israel Defense Forces as the ’Jewish Defence Force’.

In a statement on Thursday night, Ms Abbott said she had been ’issued with a formal warning’ over the post.

Apologising for the tweet, she said she had ’used wording that conflates the actions of the state of Israel with the Jewish community’ and was ’deeply sorry for any hurt caused by that conflation’.

A Labour spokesperson confirmed Ms Abbott had been readmitted to the party and had the whip restored, saying she had apologised following the conclusion of an independent process.

’The Labour Party expects the highest standards from our elected representatives and party members,’ the spokesperson said.

’The Party assesses any alleged breaches of such standards independently of the leadership and political interference.

’Diane Abbott has also apologised following the independent process coming to an end.

’All Labour elected representatives must be mindful at all times of their platform and the responsibilities that come with that privilege.’

But Phil Rosenberg, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said he was ’very sad and very concerned’ by Ms Abbott’s reinstatement.

’I’m sad because in many ways, Diane Abbott is an icon… the longest-serving female MP, the first black female MP,’ he told BBC’s Newsnight.

’And so you’d hope that we would find common cause in fighting racism in all its different guises.

’But over and over again, she’s making these statements that are offensive to the Jewish community at a time when there is heightened anti-Semitism, deadly anti-Semitism as we saw at Heaton Park.

’Unfortunately Diane Abbott, over and over again, makes these comments and then doubles down on them. And just once again, she’s apologised for the thing.

’I’m just really sad and I’m concerned because, as you were implying, we’ve seen this movie before and it doesn’t end well for the Jewish community and it doesn’t end well for Labour.’

The Jewish Leadership Council said in a statement: ’Diane Abbott was suspended from the Labour Party after she doubled down on remarks she had previously apologised for.

’Her comments downplayed the seriousness of racism against Jewish people, which is not only offensive but demonstrably absurd given recent events in the UK.

’Given her lack of public contrition prior to today’s announcement, the decision to reinstate Abbott’s membership will be seen as an exoneration for her actions.

’We recognise the independence of these processes following the EHRC report into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, meaning that this is not a decision taken by the Prime Minister as leader of his party.

’However, the Prime Minister is ultimately responsible for determining which MPs are given the Labour whip.

’He must explain how returning the whip to Diane Abbott is consistent with his zero tolerance approach to anti-Semitism.’

Mr Burnham’s top Cabinet ally on Friday welcomed Ms Abbott’s return to Labour. 

Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State, told BBC Breakfast: ’She’s Labour to her bones, and I welcome the decision by the independent process to re-admit her, and I really, really welcome her apology.’

In her statement on Thursday evening, Ms Abbott said: ’Today, following a process conducted in line with party rules and approved by the independent review process I have been readmitted to the Labour Party.

’I have been issued with a formal warning for a tweet I previously posted. By inadvertently referring to the Israeli Defence Force as the ’Jewish Defence Force’, I used wording that conflates the actions of the state of Israel with the Jewish community.

’I am deeply sorry for any hurt caused by that conflation and apologise for any hurt caused by it.

’I have been and remain a lifelong anti-racist and remain deeply committed to opposing racism in all its forms.’

Labour stressed that Ms Abbott’s readmission followed formal party processes and was not linked to Mr Burnham becoming party leader.