MPs Diane Abbott and Joani Reid have been readmitted into Labour and had the parliamentary whip restored, just under two weeks into Andy Burnham’s premiership.
The party confirmed that this followed separate independent disciplinary processes, although Labour said the leadership played no role in either decision.
Abbott, ۷۲, the mother of the House of Commons, was suspended for a second time last summer after saying she did not regret comments about racism that had led to her initial loss of the whip in ۲۰۲۳.
Reid, the MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven who was elected in ۲۰۲۴, voluntarily relinquished the whip in March this year. Her husband had been arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service in a case linked to China. Reid has never been accused of wrongdoing.
The Guardian understands from Labour party sources that Reid has never been party to the police investigations into alleged Chinese spying.
Abbott has apologised after the investigation concluded. It is understood the disciplinary process resulted in her receiving a formal warning from the party.
A Labour party spokesperson said: “The Labour party expects the highest standards from our elected representatives and party members. The party assesses any alleged breaches of such standards independently of the leadership and political interference.
“Following a process conducted under Labour party rules and approved by the independent review board, Diane Abbott and Joani Reid have been readmitted to the Labour party and have had the Labour whip restored in the House of Commons.
“Diane Abbott has also apologised following the independent process coming to an end. All Labour elected representatives must be mindful at all times of their platform and the responsibilities that come with that privilege.”
It is understood both investigations were carried out in accordance with the Labour rulebook and approved by the party’s independent review board.
Abbott was first stripped of the Labour whip in April ۲۰۲۳ after writing a letter to the Observer in which she argued that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experienced prejudice rather than racism. She apologised and withdrew the remarks, saying an earlier draft had mistakenly been submitted for publication.
Following a long investigation – which ended after dozens of MPs, Labour members and even some celebrities called for her to be reinstated because she apologised – Abbott had the whip restored just before the ۲۰۲۴ general election. The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP completed antisemitism awareness training and received a formal warning.
But she was suspended for a second time last July after she told the BBC: “Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don’t know.
“I just think that it’s silly to try to claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. I don’t know why people would say that.”
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Her second suspension last summer was seen as the latest sign that the then prime minister Keir Starmer intended to take a tougher approach to party discipline, after being forced to U-turn over controversial welfare cuts because of a massive rebellion by his MPs.
Reid, ۳۹, stepped aside from the Labour party in March after her husband, David Taylor, was arrested by counter-terrorism police.
At the time, she said she was not under investigation, had done nothing wrong, and was voluntarily relinquishing the whip to avoid becoming a distraction while Labour carried out its own inquiries.
Burnham has told Labour MPs he will change disciplinary culture and allow MPs to speak about their disagreements without fearing retribution from party whips.
A government source told the Guardian that Abbott’s readmission had nothing to do with Burnham’s regime change, and that if she repeats these comments, or makes antisemitic remarks, “she’ll have to go again”.
In a statement posted to her X account, Abbott said: “Today, following a process conducted in line with party rules and approved by the independent review process I have been readmitted to the Labour party.
“I have been issued with a formal warning for a tweet I previously posted. By inadvertently referring to the Israeli Defence Force as the ‘Jewish Defence Force’, I used wording that conflates the actions of the state of Israel with the Jewish community. I am deeply sorry for any hurt caused by that conflation and apologise for any hurt caused by it.
“I have been and remain a lifelong anti-racist and remain deeply committed to opposing racism in all its forms.”
