Diane Abbott has said she will run for the Labor Party after controversy over her candidacy

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Diane Abbott has confirmed that she will run as the Labor candidate in her London constituency, ending a days-long row over the fate of one of the prominent leftists. most prominent in British politics.

“I intend to run and win as the Labor Party candidate,” the veteran MP said on X on Sunday after speculation that she may choose to retire even after Mr. Keir Starmer has said she could be a candidate for the Labor Party.

On Sunday night, Abbott called Starmer a liar on X – after he claimed he had great respect for her – before quickly deleting the tweet.

Abbott, Britain’s first black female MP, is at the center of a controversy that has overshadowed the Labor Party’s first week of campaigning for Britain’s July 4 general election.

The renowned sociologist, who served as an MP for 37 years, said on Wednesday that Ms was “forbidden” to stand as a Labor Party candidate, leading party MPs to criticize Starmer’s leadership.

She has been suspended as a Labor MP, instead as an independent, since last year after suggesting that Jews, Irish and Travelers did not experience the same racism as she did. is “prejudiced”.

Abbott apologized for the comments at the time and reinstated the Labor Party whip this week.

Prominent Labor figures who have publicly questioned the attempt to block Abbott from running again for the party include deputy leader Angela Rayner, London mayor Sadiq Khan and Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar.

By Friday, Starmer had been forced into a U-turn by declaring that Abbott would be “free” to fight for re-election as the Labor candidate in her safe seats of Hackney North and Stoke Newington .

Abbott’s candidacy needs to be approved by Labour’s ruling national executive committee at a meeting on Tuesday, but that is expected to be a difficult move given Starmer’s control of the 41-member group.

Some MPs and union leaders see the effort to oust Abbott as out of reach for Starmer and his allies as they seek to oust Abbott. neutralize the left wing of the party and puts Labor firmly at the centre.

The Abbott controversy comes alongside a new flare-up of factional fighting within the Labor Party in recent days as the party withdrew its support for two left-wing candidates: economist Faiza Shaheen and current MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle.

Shaheen was blocked from standing for the Labor Party in Chingford and Woodford Green after liking a social media post referring to a “hysterical” Israel lobby that has harassed the country’s critics and she apologized.

She hired lawyers to challenge the party’s decision and accused it of pursuing a “sectarian agenda” against leftists.

Russell-Moyle was suspended over a complaint about his past behavior which he described as “offensive”, making him ineligible to stand as a Labor candidate in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven.

At the same time, the party announced a series of candidates for safe seats who are close allies of Starmer. The Labor Party leader insisted he only sought to get the “highest quality” candidates.