Columnist Accuses Labour Of ‘Lying’ To Journalists After BBC Finds Diane Abbott Investigation Ended In December

The i Paper’s columnist Andrew Fisher accused Labour of “lying” to “journalists” about its investigation into MP Diane Abbott for comments about racism after BBC Newsnight host Victoria Derbyshire exclusively revealed that the party concluded its probe “5 months ago.”

Derbyshire took to X ahead of Tuesday evening’s Newsnight show to explain that her source said Abbott “was given a ‘formal warning’ in Dec. 23” and was “required to do an online ‘anti semitism course’ – which she did in Feb.”

The Newsnight host continued to say that Abbott had not been told whether she is allowed to stand as a Labour MP at the upcoming general election.

Derbyshire added that the party had left the MP “angry, depressed & worn out.”

Abbott, the first black woman elected to parliament, is a longtime and loyal supporter of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn – who announced this week he’d stand as an independent in the election. Despite having represented Labour since 1983 in Islington North, Corbyn emphasised he was being forced out rather than leaving willingly.

Abbott was suspended as a Labour MP in April 2023 for suggesting that Jewish, Irish, and Traveller people were not subject to lifelong racism. She later apologised on X and retracted her comments.

Reacting to Debyshire’s revelation on LBC, Fisher raised concerns about Labour’s transparency.

Fisher told the host: “If this reporting is right from Victoria Derbyshire, that this concluded some time ago, then surely the Labour Party has some questions to answer about what they’ve been telling everybody… I think straight up they’ve been lying to you and to other journalists as well.”

He continued to criticise the Labour Party’s claim of an independent process, explaining that decisions are politically driven and managed by party officials: “The decision to open an inquiry is entirely politicised… It’s run by the same people it’s always been run by in Labour HQ.”

Fisher then compared Abbott’s case to that of Corbyn. Corbyn was suspended for a statement made following a report alleging “serious failures” during his leadership tenure to handle anti-Jewish racism among supporters. Fisher noted that despite being cleared by an independent panel, political leaders ultimately withheld the whip.

“Same thing seems to have occurred to Diane Abbott here,” he observed.

Listen above on LBC.

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