Diane Abbott to stand for Labour in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, party confirms

Labour have confirmed Diane Abbott is standing as a candidate for the party in Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which is in charge of final approval of election candidates, has given the go-ahead for the veteran MP to stand in the seat she has held for 37 years.

It published the list of approved Labour candidates for the election on Tuesday lunchtime ahead of the deadline for all nominations on Friday afternoon.

A Labour source told Sky News three members of the NEC panel raised the treatment of Ms Abbott when discussing candidates.

The decision comes after a week of confusion over whether she would be allowed to stand following the Labour whip being restored to her after a year-long suspension while she was investigated for writing a letter saying Jewish, Irish and Traveller people do not face racism.

She apologised soon after the letter was published.

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After days of confusion, including on Ms Abbott’s part, Sir Keir said last week it was not up to him to decide if she could stand, as it was up to the NEC panel.

Ms Abbott had said she understood she had been barred from standing.

But eventually, Sir Keir said she would be allowed to stand for Labour.

Ms Abbott, the UK’s first female black MP, had accused Sir Keir of carrying out a “cull of left wingers” after Faiza Shaheen was unexpectedly blocked from standing for Labour last week.

Former Labour leader and close friend of Ms Abbott’s Jeremy Corbyn, who was expelled from the party and is standing as an independent in neighbouring Islington North, told Sky News Sir Keir is “clearly intervening” in a “purge” of left-wing candidates.

On Sunday, Ms Abbott said she “intends to run and win” following speculation she may choose to stand down.

She then wrote on social media: “More lies from Starmer”, with a link to an article by Starmer biographer Tom Baldwin headlined: “Starmer on Abbott: ‘I’ve actually got more respect for Diane than she probably realises’.”

Reacting to that accusation ahead of the final decision by the NEC on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “Look, we’ve dealt with the Diane Abbott issue. I made the position absolutely clear last week when I said she was free to run for the election.

“She’s one of the candidates that we now put before the electorate.”

Asked if he had spoken to her, he said: “I’ve spoken to Diane two or three months ago. My team have obviously been speaking to her, but that decision is taken.”

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Part of the “cull” Ms Abbott and Mr Corbyn spoke about included the suspension last week of Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who has been the MP for Brighton Kemptown since 2017.

On Monday, seven Labour councillors from Slough resigned from the Labour Party after claiming they had been “betrayed” by the party’s leadership.

They said they had “profound disillusionment and anger” over Labour’s treatment of Ms Abbott and Ms Shaheen, it’s position on the war in Gaza, and at Slough’s Labour candidate Tan Dhesi.