If Starmer can’t deal with Diane Abbott HOW will he handle Putin, blasts Jeremy Hunt as Labour campaign confusion grows
SIR KEIR Starmer will struggle on the world stage up against Russia if he can’t take swift action in the Diane Abbott row, Jeremy Hunt says.
The Chancellor took aim at the Labour leader accusing him of not being ready for a showdown with Vladimir Putin on the diplomatic stage.
The attack came as the row over the long-standing politician’s bid for re-election has thrown the party’s election campaign into turmoil.
Mr Hunt told the BBC: “If Keir Starmer can’t deal with Diane Abbott, how on Earth is he going to deal with Vladimir Putin.”
The Labour chief also came under fire from a member of the party’s ruling executive over whether she will stand again in the Hackney North seat.
The party leader is facing a major backlash from the party’s left over the purge.
Sir Keir could face another headache today as he is set to appear with scandal-hit Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething.
A no confidence vote was called against Mr Gething yesterday over claims of dodgy cash in his recent leadership campaign.
It was revealed earlier this week that Labour would ban her from standing - despite Starmer saying no decision had been taken.
Corbynite Lloyd Russell-Moyle was suspended after what he claimed was “vexatious” claims made against him.
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Faiza Shaheen said she was in a “state of shock” after not being endorsed for the Chingford and Woodford Green.
Ms Abbott said the move was “appalling”. She added: “Whose clever idea has it been to have a cull of left wingers?”
Mish Rahman, a member of the party’s National Executive Committee, told Times Radio: “Keir Starmer hides behind technicalities.”
He added: “He’s been hiding behind the independent process technicality for a while when actually, as we’ve now discovered, the independent process ended in December.
“Now he’s hiding behind the NEC.”
She added that the decision on Ms Abbott re-standing will be for the leadership as they hold the majority on the executive.
He added: “So when Keir Starmer says, ‘oh, the NEC will decide’, at the end of the day, it’s more lawyer talk. It’s him and his action which will actually decide whether Diane Abbott is a Labour MP or not.”
Darren Jones, shadow Treasury Minister, said he felt “sorry” for Ms Abbott but declined several times to say whether she should be allowed to stand again.