Diane Abbott loses Labour party whip after letter suggesting Jewish people do not experience racism – live

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Jake Wallis Simons, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, has praised the Labour party for taking swift action today against Diane Abbott, and called for her to be expelled from the party. He told Sky News viewers:

I’m glad that Keir Starmer has taken that bold move to suspend her. He did the right thing and needs to be applauded for that. They certainly did act very swiftly, and that’s to be commended. Now she is going to be investigated. I can’t really see what is to investigate. She made those comments. We all know. All the evidence is out there. She’s given her defence already. She needs to be expelled.

He was dismissive of Abbott’s statement claiming that an early draft of the letter had been sent by mistake, telling viewers:

It seems to me as if you don’t just say things like that by mistake. You say them because you think them, and then you seek to tone them down when you realise how offensive they are, belatedly, because of the outrage that you face. An apology just doesn’t make any difference to her core beliefs, which came out, I think, in the original statement.

In a statement the Jewish Labour Movement has said it ‘regretfully’ supports the decision to remove the whip from Diane Abbott, while also praising her history of anti-racism activism. It said:

Regretfully, we support the party’s decision to withdraw the whip while Diane Abbott is under investigation for her offensive letter to the Observer.

Diane Abbott is one of the most respected people in the Labour party as an activist who overcame racism and prejudice to become Britain’s first Black woman MP. We should be unified in our struggle against racism, not divided against one another.

A hierarchy of racism only divides communities and assists the racists. We must not allow this. We take seriously our responsibility to unite with friends and partners across the Labour movement to fight racism together.

Here is our political correspondent Aubrey Allegretti’s report on today’s developments involving Diane Abbott:

Labour has suspended the party whip from Diane Abbott, after the MP wrote a letter suggesting Jewish people had not experienced racism.

Following a torrent of criticism from people including the energy secretary, Grant Shapps, who has spoken before about his Jewish faith, Abbott withdrew the comments.

She had been responding to a comment article published in the Observer, titled: “Racism in Britain is not a black and white issue. It’s far more complicated.”

In a letter to the newspaper, Abbott took issue with its thesis – based on a survey that found high numbers of Irish, Jewish and Traveller people had reported suffering from racism. The former shadow home secretary wrote that “they undoubtedly experience prejudice”, but added: “This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable.”

Abbott continued: “It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism.”

She said Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required in pre-civil rights America to sit at the back of buses, were able to vote in apartheid South Africa and were not trafficked or placed into manacles on slave ships.

Senior Conservatives swiftly called on her to apologise. Shapps urged the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, to intervene, and said that “once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful antisemitism”.

A Labour spokesperson said the party “completely condemns these comments”, calling them “deeply offensive and wrong”. They added that the chief whip had suspended the whip from Abbott, meaning she will sit as an independent MP “pending an investigation”.

Abbott published an apology on Twitter, saying she wanted to “wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks”. She blamed the errors on “an initial draft being sent”.

Abbott said: “There is no excuse, and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others.

“Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them.”

Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, has said of Diane Abbott‘s letter that “minimising anti-Jewish racism as mere ‘prejudice’ is ignorant, offensive and shameful”.

The Labour Against Antisemitism group had also called for Diane Abbott to lose the whip. Spokesperson Fiona Sharpe said in a statement:

To reduce the racism faced by Jews to mere prejudice when in living memory six million Jews were systematically slaughtered in Europe for their race is grossly offensive. In the UK today one in five of all Jews have suffered a racist attack, with more than one in three Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) reporting the same. Ms Abbott is either woefully misinforned of deliberately bigoted. Neither should be tolerated.

Grant Shapps, secretary of state for energy security and net zero, earlier described the wording of Diane Abbott‘s letter to the Observer as “hateful anti-semitism”, challenging Labour leader Keir Starmer to act.

Former home secretary Sajid Javid also commented, describing it as “this minimisation of racism against Jews and other groups who may not have a certain skin pigmentation” and arguing that “redefining racism in obscure ways damages the cause of tackling it”.

The Labour party has removed the whip from Diane Abbott over a row about a letter she wrote to the Observer newspaper that appeared to compare the prejudice faced by Jewish people to that faced by people with red hair, and which also sought to set apart “prejudice” against Irish people and Travellers from the “racism” experienced by black people.

A spokesperson for the Labour party said: “The Labour party completely condemns these comments which are deeply offensive and wrong. The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation.”

Abbott has already tweeted to say she withdraws the remarks [see 11.36 BST] saying:

I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them. The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse, and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others. Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them.

In the letter, published in the Observer and on the website today, Abbott had written:

Tomiwa Owolade claims that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from “racism”. They undoubtedly experience prejudice. This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable.

It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis has defended Dominic Raab, saying that he never saw him acting like a bully when the pair worked together. Davis told Camilla Tominey on GB News:

When he worked for me, we were involved in an incredibly fierce conflict with the then Blair and Brown governments. We removed a couple of Home Secretaries and we got into huge battles. These were 18-hour days, often seven days a week in this battle. And so, there was huge pressure on him as my chief of staff. Yet not once did I see him bully anybody, not once did I see him lose his temper. And not once did I see him lose his cool or shout at an employee. So no, I don’t believe he was a bully then and actually having read the report in some detail I don’t think he was a bully now.

He said he thought Raab’s decision to resign was the wrong one, saying “The problem is that Dominic being Dominic said, you know, the rules are the rules. And, you know, I will resign if there’s any finding against me. I think it’s the wrong decision, but the simple truth is that for the Prime Minister you know, you’ve only got so much controversy you can manage, and he’s got controversy over immigration and many other areas.”

Davis also claimed the allegations against Raab were politically motivated, saying “I would urge people to read paragraph 161 of the report which says some of the people did not have any direct relationship with Raab. Some of them had never even met him. We also see that a number of complaints arrived on the day that Dominic was going to appear in front of the House of Commons standing up to Angela Rayner. It just looks too political for words.”

Paragraph 161 of the report comes in a section about a group complaint of bullying made by staff at the ministry of justice over Raab’s conduct when he was justice minister. It, and the one above it, reads:

160. The MoJ Group Complaint was prepared by a group of non-SCS policy officials and is signed collectively. It was the product of discussions within an informal network of civil servants whose number is uncertain. For the purpose of the investigation, nine individuals identified themselves as parties to the MoJ Group Complaint.

161. Only some of those individuals had any direct experience of the DPM; some had never met him at all but were seeking to support their colleagues. Each individual was entirely open about what they could or could not say. The substantive content of the MoJ Group Complaint is therefore limited but it paved the way for the MoJ Additional Complaints and so too, albeit indirectly, the FCDO Complaint and the DExEU Complaint.

While Davis appears to be correct that some of the people who formed part of the complaint referenced in paragraph 161 did not personally interact with Raab, paragraph 160 would appear to make clear the context, that the group complaint included people addressing the impact of Raab’s behaviour on their colleagues.

Labour MP Diane Abbott has tweeted that she withdraws remarks she made which were printed in the Observer letters page, regarding racism. In the letter, Abbott had sought to make a distinction between what she described as the “prejudice” that some white groups including Jewish, Irish and Travellors experience, and the “racism” that impacts on Black people.

In her statement on Twitter, Abbot said:

I am writing regarding my letter that was recently published in the Observer.

I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them.

The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse, and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused.

Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellors and many others.

Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them.

The original letter, published in print and on the website today, read:

Tomiwa Owolade claims that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from “racism” (“Racism in Britain is not a black and white issue. It’s far more complicated“, Comment). They undoubtedly experience prejudice. This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable.

It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships.Diane AbbottHouse of Commons, London SW1

Also on an education theme on the Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, was asked about teachers’ pay. He said:

What teaching unions want above all was to get around the negotiation table with the government. I’ve been quite alarmed by the government’s unwillingness to engage in negotiations.

I personally I think they need a fair deal. There’s a shortage of teachers, particularly in specialist subjects. And when I talk to headteachers in my constituency, they’re really worried about making sure they can recruit the best people to teach our children. I think they should get very near to inflation.

Davey continued:

The reason why I keep going back to negotiation is you need to make sure you’re getting a good deal, both for the taxpayer, and for our schools and our children. And the fact that government won’t even get around the table I think is the scandal. I think if you’re a parent, worried about the strikes, if you’re a headteacher trying to get staff recruited, you’ll be really disappointed.

And I think it’s partly the chaos in this government. Not only have they had three prime ministers, and four health secretaries, and five chancellors, they’ve had six education secretaries since the last general election. And that chaos and incompetence at the top is I think largely to blame for many of the problems we’re seeing.

In response to Amanda Spielman’s appearance on the show, the newly appointed deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden was asked by Laura Kuenssberg if he is was satisfied with how Ofsted was being run “more broadly”.

He told viewers: “I have, of course, overall confidence in how Ofsted is run.”

He added: “I think it is the case that if you look at this tragic case of the headteacher that took their own life, the way in which safeguarding issues are treated is very important. Of course we uphold the highest standards of safeguarding. The proportionality of that in terms of the overall rating of the school does need to be looked at, and I believe that Ofsted are committed to doing that.”

Dowden went on to say: “I think it’s important that a proportionate approach is taken. And my experience of working with teachers is they are passionately committed to supporting the children in their schools.”

“But it is also right that we do expect high standards, and Ofsted has been a pivotal part in delivering that, and if you look at what’s happened under this government, for example, 88% of schools are now good and outstanding, we have to be able to hold teachers and headteachers to account. To make sure they’re delivering for the pupils and the parents that they serve. But we don’t want to do so in a way that excessively puts focus on one issue over another.”

A large portion of this morning’s Laura Kuenssberg programme on the BBC was devoted to a debate around Ofsted and schools. The Guardian’s education editor, Richard Adams, reports:

Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, says any changes to the way schools in England are inspected would have to come from the government, in the wake of the controversy over the death of Berkshire headteacher Ruth Perry.

Appearing on the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg programme on Sunday morning, in her first public interview since Perry’s death, Spielman defended the use of single judgments to grade a school. Perry’s family have blamed her death on a harshly critical Ofsted inspection that downgraded her school from “outstanding” to inadequate”.

“Yes, [inspection reports] are synthesised into an overall judgment. That’s partly to help parents, we know that parents like the clarity and simplicity of the model,” Spielman said.

“It’s also because the wider system of school accountability that government operates does use those overall judgment. So it’s not for us to say we’re going to fundamentally change the grading system, that would have to be a bigger government decision.”

Perry’s sister, Julia Waters, was also interviewed on the programme, saying: “There is no doubt in my family’s mind at all that Ruth killed herself because of that Ofsted inspection. She was fine beforehand, she was not fine during and after it. So it is a potentially dangerous system.”

Asked to respond, Spielman said: “From what I’ve seen, I don’t have any reason to doubt the inspection.”

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

A local campaign has been launched calling for the former justice secretary Dominic Raab to step down as an MP.

Raab’s political opponents in his marginal Esher and Walton seat are already using his resignation from the government to argue that he should also resign as an MP. The Liberal Democrats, his main opposition, have wasted no time in launching a petition for his removal – as well as using the claims of bullying to raise money for their local campaign.

Under parliamentary rules, Raab could be forced to resign as an MP only if the standards commissioner issued him with a serious sanction, endorsed by MPs. An official recall petition would then have to be signed by 10% of eligible registered voters in Raab’s seat.

The Observer understands that a complaint is being filed with Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, arguing that the revelations over Raab’s bullying of officials could amount to “serious breaches of the code of conduct for members of parliament”.

The independent report into Raab’s conduct released last week, overseen by Adam Tolley KC, said he had engaged in “abuse or misuse of power” to undermine or humiliate staff, as well as being “intimidating and insulting” in meetings at the Ministry of Justice. However, Raab and his allies have been adamant that he did not bully officials and that the report into his conduct set the bar for what amounts to bullying far too low.

Read more here: Dominic Raab faces campaign to sack him as MP

Labour has cut all ties with the CBI, the shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, has told the BBC, saying the UK business organisation needed “a root and branch review and reform process”.

Asked by Laura Kuenssberg if the party would cut its links with the CBI, Ashworth said “Well, we have done”, adding that the party had ceased all contact.

Ashworth added: “I just feel for the people who have been victims, and that the CBI has really got to get its house in order.”

Questioned as to whether it should be wound down and replaced by a new organisation, Ashworth said: “This is all for the CBI to decide how they’re going to reform themselves. There’s clearly a deep-rooted problems there. And they need a root and branch review and reform process.”

Earlier, Jon Ungoed-Thomas reported for the Observer that the CBI brand is broken ‘beyond repair’ by sex attack and misconduct claims. You can read that here:

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, has been pressed about the party’s attitude to housebuilding ahead of the local elections. He said the problem was the government’s “developer-led approach to housing”.

Challenged on Laura Kuenssberg’s BBC show over his party’s record of opposing local housing developments, he said:

I can take you to places both in my constituency in other areas controlled by the Liberal Democrats where we are building lots of houses. But here’s the key question.

The problem I have with the government’s approach is they have a developer-led approach to housing, and that has resulted in the wrong types of homes being in the wrong places. Don’t believe me? That is what Theresa May said.

What Liberal Democrats want is a community-led approach to housing, and all the evidence shows that results in more houses being built that more meet the needs of the local people. They’re in the right place. They have the social infrastructures

I’m really proud that’s the Liberal Democrat policy, and that’s the approach we’ll adopt where we’re in power. So I’d say at the next election, if you want the right sorts of homes built in your community, vote Liberal Democrat, because they’re going to listen to the community. And they’re going to make sure the local planning – with all the controls that central government put on it, and they put loads of controls that are really unfair, actually undemocratic. But with all those controls Liberal Democrat councillors will listen to local people.

Lorna Hughes, the editor of Scotland’s Sunday Mail, has been on the Laura Kuenssberg show and said the recent police investigation into the funding of the SNP had been like a “hand grenade being thrown into Holyrood”. After recapping the latest developments, she was asked what the long-term impact could be, she told viewers:

I think Labour will be able to make inroads [at the next election], but they will have to work hard to do so. If you ask me “do I think this is the end of the SNP?”. No. And it’s certainly not the end for independence. We still have half and half on that. But it is an opportunity certainly for Labour to make gains.

Daniel Johnson writes in typically restrained style for the Mail today about Dominic Raab, saying:

The felling of Dominic Raab by a lynch mob composed of malicious mandarins and mendacious sections of the media is more than just one high-powered politician losing his job.

It is chilling proof that we are living in an atmosphere of hysteria directed against the Conservatives such as has not been seen since the left’s gleeful, grave-dancing reaction to Margaret Thatcher’s death in 2013.

After a vicious and sustained pincer movement by left-wing civil servants and hostile journalists to undermine him as an elected MP and cabinet minister, he was left with no choice but to resign.

What happened was that in a ministry full of Labour-supporting civil servants, the former justice secretary found himself targeted, isolated and undermined, with even his private secretaries replaced on the orders of senior bureaucrats.

Even though Raab had been consistently loyal to successive prime ministers, standing in for them repeatedly during an exceptionally turbulent few years, Downing Street was unable to save him.

Rishi Sunak has lost three Cabinet Ministers in six months (after Nadhim Zahawi and Gavin Williamson). It is unlikely that Raab will be the last to be picked off by the Whitehall machine, which is so biased and implacable that it has come to be known as ‘the Blob’.

The Raab affair, indeed, is only the latest so-called scandal to blow the government off course. Many, including this one, have been exaggerated out of all proportion by a toxic alliance of unionised bureaucrats and biased broadcasters.

The chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Labour’s Dan Jarvis are also among MPs pounding the streets of London today to raise money.

Oliver Dowden has been asked about Sudan, and has described it as “a complex and fluid situation” and repeats his line from earlier that British nationals in Sudan should stay indoors and make the Foreign Office aware of their location, but that he will not be drawn on specifics for security reasons.

He also says the situation is very different to Afghanistan, because the UK does not have as significant a presence on the ground in Sudan as it did there.