Diane Abbott free to stand for Labour in election, says Starmer | Diane Abbott

Diane Abbott is “free to stand” as a Labour candidate in the general election, Keir Starmer has said.

The news comes four days after it was revealed that the Labour party had concluded an investigation in December into controversial remarks Abbott had made, and that she had completed the required antisemitism training in February, but the party had not decided whether or not to readmit her.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington was suspended from the party last year after she suggested in a letter to the Observer that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experienced prejudice, but not racism, sparking a long-running process during which she sat as an independent MP.

The party’s handling of her investigation has caused fury across the political spectrum, with senior politicians and well-known figures questioning why Labour had not been able to let her stand for the party and decide for herself whether or not she wanted to retire.

Starmer spent three days saying it was not his decision, and that a final verdict would be made on Tuesday by Labour’s governing body, the national executive committee.

On Friday, the Labour leader told reporters: “The whip has obviously been restored to her now and she is free to go forward as a Labour candidate.”

Less than an hour before his comments, friends of Abbott said the politician was sure she would not be allowed to stand, and that she had had no talks with the leadership about being a candidate since a briefing to the Times that she would be barred.

They said she was still hopeful of putting herself forward as the Labour candidate for the east London seat, but felt that it was a “fait accompli” that some elements around the leadership would block her.

Labour party sources confirmed Abbott would be the candidate if she wanted to be, and insisted she had never been barred.

Starmer’s remarks were made hours after the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, became the latest Labour figure to back Abbott and say she had the right to stand.

Sarwar said he agreed with Starmer’s deputy, Angela Rayner, who told the Guardian that Abbott had not been treated “fairly or appropriately” by some Labour colleagues and she “doesn’t see any reason” why Abbott could not run now the party whip had been restored.

Abbott had the whip restored on Tuesday, but it was briefed to the Times that she might be barred from running for Labour at the general election.

On Thursday, leading Black British actors, professors, authors and broadcasters urged Labour to “rectify and reverse” the “disrespectful” treatment of the veteran MP or risk losing the backing of the party’s most loyal supporters.

Lenny Henry, David Harewood, Renni Eddo-Lodge, Misan Harriman, Afua Hirsch, Jackie Kay, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Adrian Lester and Gary Younge were among those who said in an open letter: “Indeed, the fact that the party reached its conclusion several months ago and failed to readmit her to the parliamentary party until earlier this week, after the story broke, indicates a determination to humiliate her. Coming from a community where discrimination is a daily reality, we know unfairness when we see it.”

A spokesperson for the grassroots campaign group Momentum said: “You come at the queen, you better not miss. Diane Abbott has been bullied and abused her whole career.

“Starmer tried to force her out. She held firm – and won. This is a huge victory. But we know that Starmer’s appalling treatment of Diane is just one case among many. Faiza Shaheen should now be reinstated as the Labour candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green, as members voted.”