In other words: try not to bring us down. Labour and Keir Starmer must be sick of the negative impact this bloody women’s utterings have on the party. They are struggling to score points as it is, with immigration out of control and Nigel Farage’s Reform making leaps and bounds in the polls.
So the last thing they need is this gargoyle of a human to tarnish their image on the streets further. She is Labour’s pantomime villain. Appearing when you least expect her, after you thought you were safe. Surprise! She’s here again with her wildly unhelpful comments, usually referencing racism and completely ill-informed updates on Labour policy. As if she is unfamiliar with any of her colleagues in the Labour party. Or what they are aiming to achieve.
She hates white people and thinks that calling snow white is clearly a racially motivated comment. She is the worst guest you could invite to dinner. That patronising, overbearing tone of voice which suggests that you know nothing about how the world works, whereas, of course, she knows everything and, thankfully, is here to put you right. What a relief and how grateful we are that La Abbott has arrived.
The latest gaff, centres on racism and this time it is the jewish community who are benefitting from her wisdom. Honestly, have you ever had an old car that breaks down at unexpected times and ultimately is no help in your life. In fact, it is a hindrance. This must be how Starmer feels about her.
The Labour Party has said it is taking “incredibly seriously” an interview by Diane Abbott in which she stood by comments she made about racism that led to a year-long suspension from the Labour Party.
In an interview with the BBC’s James Naughtie, she was asked about the controversy that was sparked by a letter she wrote to the Observer.
In the letter, she wrote that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people “undoubtedly experience prejudice” that is “similar to racism”.
She added: “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.”
Abbott was quick to withdraw the remarks, which were heavily criticised by Jewish and Traveller groups, and apologised “for any anguish caused”.
But she was suspended from the party and only re-admitted just before last year’s general election.
Asked by Naughtie if she looked back on the whole incident with regret, she said: “No, not at all.”
She added: “Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don’t know.
“You don’t know unless you stop to speak to them or you’re in a meeting with them.
“But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that they’re black. They are different types of racism.”
Asked if she believed she had done anything wrong or had said something in her Observer letter that she did not believe in, she said: “I just think that it’s silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.
“I just… I don’t know why people would say that.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “There is no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party. We take these comments incredibly seriously, and will assess them in line with Labour Party’s rules and procedures.”
Baroness Shami Chakrabarti – a Labour peer and a friend of Abbott – told BBC’s Politics Live she did not interpret the interview as the MP retracting her previous apology.
“She was saying, as I understand it… that people do experience racism differently – that doesn’t create a hierarchy, that doesn’t mean one kind racism is better than another,” she said.
“Don’t be a Diane Abbot”, please.
