Diane Abbott advised her longtime friend Jeremy Corbyn against launching a new political party, warning him about the challenges of Britain's electoral system. The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington confirmed she had spoken to Corbyn before his party launch to discourage the venture.
"There were people around Jeremy encouraging him to set up a new party and I told him not to," Abbott said at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. "It's very difficult under the first-past-the-post system for a new party to absolutely win."
Abbott explained that while a proportional representation system might give new parties better chances, she understood Corbyn's decision to proceed. She believes the party could attract support from people who are "disappointed about the way [Labour has] gone in the past year" rather than just traditional left-wing voters.
Abbott's defiant stance
Despite being suspended from Labour for the second time, Abbott maintains she belongs at the heart of the party. The longest-serving female MP, who holds the honorary title of mother of the house, lost the party whip in April 2023 after writing a controversial Observer letter about racism and prejudice.
Abbott was readmitted to Labour in time for the general election but suspended again last month after defending her original remarks to the BBC. She argued the published letter was a draft version taken out of context.
When asked whether she thought she would ever be accepted at the heart of the Labour party, Abbott said: "I think I am at the heart of the Labour party, it's other people who aren't." Speaking about her book "A Woman Like Me", Abbott criticised Keir Starmer (Labour) as "timid on Gaza" and condemned the proscription of Palestine Action as "absolutely dreadful".
Praise for new alliance
Abbott described Zarah Sultana, the independent MP launching Corbyn's as-yet-unnamed party, as a "lovely person who is full of energy". She believes Corbyn's venture will perform better than expected, describing the pair as "a great combination".
Abbott said: "I think Jeremy's party is going to do a lot better than people think, because a lot of people are not necessarily terribly leftwing. People are a tiny bit disappointed about the way we've gone in the past year."
Political divisions emerge
However, other Labour figures have been less supportive of Corbyn's new venture. According to The Scotsman, Chancellor Rachel Reeves dismissed the new party as ego-driven, saying: "The country has rejected him twice."
John McDonnell, another former Corbyn ally, ruled out joining the new party and expects to regain his Labour whip, The Scotsman reports. The divisions highlight the fractures within Labour's left wing following Corbyn's departure from the party.
Sources used: "The Guardian", "The Scotsman" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
