Starmer accused of climate hypocrisy

THE election campaign of Sir Keir Starmer lurched from bad to worse yesterday after he was mocked for climate hypocrisy.

- Christian Calgie Senior Political Correspondent

The Labour leader was left redfaced after the Daily Express revealed he had flown to Scotland on a private jet to launch his party's flagship clean energy plan.

And matters became more shambolic as Sir Keir then caved in to Labour's hard-Left over the treatment of Diane Abbott.

The party leader backed down to end days of bitter factional infighting by declaring that the Labour veteran is "free" to represent the party.

The row over Ms Abbott, who had been under investigation in an antisemitism scandal, has engulfed the Labour Party this week, threatening to derail its election campaign.

Deep divisions at the top of the party were exposed after Sir Keir was openly challenged by his deputy Angela Rayner and Labour's leader in Scotland Anas Sarwar to allow her to stand.

Sir Keir said: "The whip has obviously been restored to her now and she is free to go forward as a Labour candidate."

He praised the Labour veteran as a "trailblazer", saying: "Diane Abbott was elected in 1987, the first black woman MP. She has carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life."

Sir Keir's approval paves the way for the party's National Executive Committee to approve her candidacy next week.