Sir Keir Starmer under pressure to expel Diane Abbott from Labour after she ‘spouted hateful anti-Semitism’
SIR Keir Starmer is facing calls to expel Diane Abbott from Labour after she was accused of “spouting hateful anti-Semitism”.
The party leader is under pressure to permanently kick her out after suspending her from Labour yesterday.
It came after the veteran MP and former shadow Home Secretary claimed Jewish people couldn’t suffer from racism - just a prejudice similar to people with red hair.
Ms Abbott will now sit as an independent MP pending an investigation.
Frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth called the remarks “deeply offensive, deeply wrong”.
Jeremy Corbyn-ally Ms Abbott issued a weak apology blaming a “drafting error”.
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She acknowledged Jews had experienced “monstrous” effects of racism.
But one shadow minister said: “There is surely no way back for her, it’s time to kick her out for good.”
A Labour MP added: “It’s time she stood down as an MP for her own sake and to do the party a favour.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews called Ms Abbott’s apology “entirely unconvincing”.
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A spokesman for the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said: “Her suspension now is past time and must be the first step towards her expulsion.”
The comments were published in the Observer newspaper.
She was responding to a comment suggesting Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from racism.
What she said
MANY types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience prejudice.
But they are not all their lives subject to racism.
In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus.
She wrote: “It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice.
“But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus.
“In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships.”
Furious Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful anti-Semitism. Keir Starmer, are you actually going to do anything?”
Sir Keir has tried to distance himself from the Corbyn era as he attempts to purge the party of anti-Semitism.
A Labour spokesman said: “The Labour Party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong.”
Her apology
I WISH to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them.
The errors arose in an initial draft being sent.
But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused.