Diane Abbott says she is standing for Labour and denies she was offered peerage by Starmer

2 June 2024, 18:20

Diane Abbott has said she will 'run and win as Labour's candidate' in Hackney North and Stoke Newington - and denies she was offered a peerage by Keir Starmer in exchange for standing down.

It came after allies of the Labour left-winger suggested she may not run despite a furious row last week in which she appeared to have been disqualified by the party's National Executive Committee (NEC).

Ms Abbott told the BBC that despite reports she had been offered a seat in the House of Lords, she intends to stand in the seat she has held for over 30 years.

Labour denied the reports on Sunday and Ms Abbott also poured doubt on the claims.

Read More: Labour denies left-wing MPs offered peerages to make way for allies of Starmer

Abbott wrote on X: "This is factually incorrect. I have never been offered a seat in the Lords, and would not accept one if offered.

"I am the adopted Labour candidate for Hackney North & Stoke Newington. I intend to run and to win as Labour's candidate."

On Friday, Labour leader Sir Keir praised the veteran as a "trailblazer", saying: "Diane Abbott was elected in 1987, the first black woman MP.

"She has carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life."

The Labour leader later told reporters: "The whip has obviously been restored to her now and she is free to go forward as a Labour candidate."

Diane Abbott says she 'will be campaigning for a Labour victory' at the upcoming election

He had previously refused to say whether Ms Abbot would be defending her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat when the country goes to the polls on 4th July as he faced claims of a "purge" of left-wing candidates.

In response to the news, Ms Abbott said her local party selected her as their candidate in 2022.

"But I will not be the official candidate until I am endorsed by the Labour National Executive at its meeting on Tuesday. So I am not saying anything until then".

Ms Abbott was suspended from Labour last year after she suggested Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism, sparking a long-running process which saw her sit as an Independent MP.

On Tuesday, it emerged she had the Labour whip restored but it was briefed out that she might be "barred" from running for the party in the upcoming election.