The Diane Abbott racism row has erupted again after the veteran MP refused to express regret for comments that saw her suspended from Labour for a year. Britain’s first Black woman MP stood by her 2023 letter. She suggested racism against people of colour differs from prejudice faced by Jewish, Irish and Traveller communities.
When asked if she regretted the Observer letter that triggered the Diane Abbott racism row, the Hackney MP bluntly replied: “No, not at all.” She doubled down. Abbott argued racism based on skin colour is visibly identifiable in ways other prejudices aren’t. “You see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away they’re black,”
Though Abbott had previously withdrawn the comments and apologised, Labour suspended her pending investigation. She only regained the whip weeks before last year’s election after completing an antisemitism course.
Abbott suggested party leaders tried forcing her out during the Diane Abbott racism row. She alleged they dangled a peerage if she quit as MP. “I was never going to do that,” she said, crediting local support for her survival. The 37-year parliamentary veteran described feeling treated as a “non-person” during her suspension.
The interview revisited Abbott’s claim that while Jewish people and Travellers face prejudice, it differs from systemic racism against Black communities. Jewish groups had condemned her original comments as antisemitic – an accusation she rejected. She cited her lifelong anti-racism work.
The discussion spanned Abbott’s groundbreaking career since entering Parliament in 1987. As Mother of the House, she reflected on battling racism in politics and her alliance with left-wing figures like Jeremy Corbyn. The Diane Abbott racism row formed part of this wider reflection on her activist legacy.
With Labour now governing, Abbott’s unrepentant stance highlights ongoing tensions between the leadership and its left flank. As the Diane Abbott racism row resurfaces, it underscores deeper debates about racism’s manifestations that continue dividing British politics.
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