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Diane Abbott has vowed to be the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington “as long as it is possible” amid a row over her political future.
Addressing a crowd outside Hackney Town Hall on Wednesday evening, the Labour veteran said: “You have always stood with me in good times and bad and I will always stand with you.”
Ms Abbott had the Labour whip restored on Tuesday, but the question of whether or not she will be able to stand as a candidate for the party in the general election remains mired in uncertainty.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he had sent a message of support to Ms Abbott as he spoke at a rally in north London where he launched his own independent campaign for the Islington North seat after being banned from running for Labour.
In another twist in Labour’s candidacy drama on Wednesday, MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle said he has been suspended by the party over what he called a “vexatious and politically motivated complaint” against him, and that he cannot stand under the Labour banner at the election.
The PA news agency understands that Mr Russell-Moyle was suspended from the party pending investigation after a serious complaint was received last week.
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda flights plan is not credible, damning report by MPs finds
Rishi Sunak has been dealt a huge blow after Parliament’s most infuential committee concluded that the Home Office “does not have a credible plan” for sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The unanimous report by the Public Accounts Committee from a cross-party group of MPs with a Tory majority found said it had “little confidence” in the Home Office’s ability to implement the Rwanda plan.
The Rwanda deportation flights have long been Mr Sunak’s solution to “stopping the small boats” and ending the flow of asylum seekers to British shores.
MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle suspended from Labour Party after complaint
The Brighton Kemptown MP said in a statement that he received an administrative suspension letter “out of the blue”.
He said: “Someone (who remains anonymous to me) has made what I believe to be a vexatious and politically motivated complaint about my behaviour eight years ago. This is a false allegation that I dispute totally and I believe it was designed to disrupt this election.
Helen Corbett reports:
When is the first Sunak-Starmer election debate?
With the clock ticking down to the general election on 4 July, the major parties are facing a race to win over voters before polling day.
The Conservatives and Labour have been battling it out on issues such as the economy, immigration and national security so far and the parties’ leaders, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, are also set to square off in TV debates.
ITV announced on Wednesday that the first head-to-head general election debate between the pair will take place on ITV1, ITVX and STV and STV Player on Tuesday 4th June at 9pm.
Hundreds gather outside Hackney town hall in support of Diane Abbott
Hundreds of people gathered outside Hackney town hall on Wednesday in support of Diane Abbott, reports The Independent’s race correspondent Nadine White from Hackney.
Allies stood on the building’s steps holding ‘I stand with Diane’ placards, a ‘hands off our MP’ sign and a red #SolidarityWithDianeAbbott banner.
Speeches from the rally’s organisers, constituents and Ms Abbott herself were met with murmurs of agreement among the crowd and rapturous applause.
“Diane is a beacon for us, we are here for her, we want her to stand, we need her voice to be out there. So we stand with Diane,” organiser Lucie Scott told the crowd which chanted “we stand with Diane” numerous times in response.
Speaking to The Independent after the rally, Ms Scott said: “We don’t want an independent candidate. You have a two-party system, you’ve got the machinery, the mechanisms of government.
“As one individual, you’re very restricted in what you can do. She’s been loyal: why should she have to leave [Labour] and start again from a party she’s been in for 40 years?
“If the Labour Party’s changed so much [that] she’s now not eligible to stand, then there’s something wrong with the current Labour Party, and they need to listen if they want to win because they do need the Black vote. And we are relevant.”
No further action will be taken against Rayner by HMRC, according to reports
No further action will be taken against Angela Rayner by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), it has been reported.
The deputy Labour leader owes no capital gains tax for the 2015 sale of her former council house in Stockport, HMRC confirmed in a document, according to the Guardian.
Following a consideration of the evidence two weeks ago, the tax authority concluded the house was Ms Rayner’s principal residence the entire time she owned it, which meant that no tax would be due.
It comes after Greater Manchester Police and Stockport Council both confirmed they would be taking no further action against Ms Rayner following weeks of investigations.
The force said it had shared details of its investigation with HMRC because tax falls out of its jurisdiction.
Beleaguered Tories finally come out on top with voters – but only on campaign slogan
After a difficult start to the general election Rishi Sunak has finally come ahead of Keir Starmer in one crucial area in the polls.
The Conservatives are currently trailing Labour by between 12 and 27 points according to diffierent opinion polls published over the last 24 hours but one poll puts them ahead.
‘When I heard the news I went potty’: Diane Abbott’s Hackney constituents react to Labour ‘election ban’
Why is this election so divided between Britain’s old and young?
Rishi Sunak targeting core older voters while Labour woos the young is widening the age gap in politics, says Sean O’Grady:
In this battle for votes it is often said there isn’t much difference between Labour and the Conservatives, especially on the broad thrust of economic policy. But one of the more striking features of the campaign is the very different ways the two main parties are chasing the support of particular generations.
Read more here:
Corbyn slams news of Royal Mail becoming a billionaire’s ‘plaything’
Jeremy Corbyn commented on the news that Royal Mail agreed to a multi-billion deal takeover by a Czech billionaire.
He said: “Is it really on that a crucial public service like the Royal Mail should become a plaything of a billionaire?”
Corbyn says he sent a message to support for Diane Abbott
Jeremy Corbyn has said he sent a message to support to Diane Abbott.
He added: “Democracy is not just about your right to vote every four years.
“It is not about shutting down dissent.”
Source: independent.co.uk
