Starmer Vows To 'Tear Out Antisemitism' From Labour

Sir Keir Starmer has said he "utterly condemns" Diane Abbott's comments on racism as he vowed to "tear out antisemitism" from the "roots" of the Labour Party.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

The Labour leader acknowledged the racist abuse Ms Abbott has suffered herself over “many, many years,” but said her comments – claiming white people “with points of difference” hadn’t suffered the same racism as Black people – were antisemitic.

Speaking a day after Ms Abbott was suspended from the Labour Party over her remarks, Sir Keir said: “In my view what she said was to be condemned, it was antisemitic.” He added: “Diane Abbott has suffered a lot of racial abuse over many many years... that doesn’t take away from the fact that I condemn the words she used and we must never accept the argument that there’s some sort of hierarchy of racism.”

He added: “I will never accept that, the Labour Party will never accept that, and that’s why we acted as swiftly as we did yesterday. I said we would tear out antisemitism by its roots – I meant it and that is why we acted so swiftly.”

The row broke out after Ms Abbott, the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said in a letter to The Observer that Jewish, Irish and traveller communities had experienced “prejudice”, adding: “This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable.”

She went on: “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.” Ms Abbott apologised for any “anguish” caused, suggesting “errors arose” in her initial draft letter to the newspaper. Ms Abbott had the Labour whip suspended and the party launched an investigation.