Angela Rayner ‘disappointed’ by Diane Abbott’s latest comments on racism
Angela Rayner has said she is disappointed that Diane Abbott has defended comments about racism that led to her year-long suspension from Labour, as the party says it is looking “incredibly seriously” at Abbott’s latest remarks.The deputy prime minister, who last year paved the way for the veteran Labour politician to be allowed to stand for the party again at the election, told the Guardian the comments represented a “real challenge” for the party.While she said it was not up to her to decide whether Abbott would be suspended, her words suggest that the MP’s future within the party is once again under question.Rayner added that it was “not good” that Abbott had sought to back away from her earlier apology.Abbott, who represents Hackney North and Stoke Newington, was disciplined for writing a letter to the Observer in April 2023 arguing that people of colour experienced racism “all their lives”, different to the “prejudice” experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers.
Although she withdrew the comments at the time and apologised for any anguish caused, she was suspended from the Labour party after Keir Starmer said her letter was antisemitic.Abbott, who was readmitted to Labour before the general election, said she did not look back on the incident with regret and that she stood by the argument.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Reflections programme on Thursday, she said: “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.“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 don’t know why people would say that.
”Asked if she was disappointed by Abbott’s latest comments, Rayner said: “I was.There’s no place for antisemitism in the Labour party, and obviously the Labour party has processes for that.“Diane had reflected on how she’d put that article together, and said that ‘was not supposed to be the version’, and now to double down and say: ‘Well, actually I didn’t mean that.I actually meant what I originally said,’ I think is a real challenge.”Some MPs expect Starmer to suspend Abbott.
At the time of the original comments, Rayner suggested Abbott had not been treated “fairly or appropriately” by some Labour colleagues.“For me at the time, there was a clarification and an understanding that was said quite clearly: ‘That I understand what I said was not right and not correct.’ To then go back on that and say: ‘Well, actually I didn’t agree with me doing that apology, and explaining why I didn’t mean those things,’ and say: ‘Well I actually did mean them,’ I think that’s not good.”Abbott’s remarks were broadcast hours after Starmer suspended four Labour MPs from the party whip for repeated breaches of discipline.Abbott, who has the honorary title mother of the house as the longest-serving female MP in the Commons, said she felt “a bit weary” of people labelling her antisemitic.
She had “spent a lifetime fighting racism of all kinds and in particular fighting antisemitism, partly because of the nature of my constituency”.Asked whether she felt she had been “hung out to dry” by the Labour leadership during the disciplinary process relating to her remarks, she said: “In the end, Keir Starmer had to restore the whip to me.Sign up to Headlines UKGet the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morningafter newsletter promotion“I got tremendous support locally.We had a big rally on the steps of Hackney town hall.And in the end Keir Starmer and the people around him had to back off because of the support I had from the community.
”Abbott was readmitted to the party and allowed to stand again in the July 2024 election after party officials failed to broker a deal by which she would get the whip back in return for standing down.Reports that she would not be allowed to contest her seat as a Labour candidate led to a backlash from MPs and activists.The party’s investigation into her had concluded months earlier but led to no change in her status.Abbott told the BBC she was sure the Labour leadership had been “trying to get me out” and there were “hints” that she would be offered a seat in the House of Lords if she stepped down as an MP.“I was never going to do that.
And I’m a Labour MP today, and I’m grateful,” she said,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,” This article was amended on 17 July 2025 to clarify the text of Diane Abbott’s April 2023 letter to the Observer,
Tour de France 2025: Pogacar blows field away on stage 12 summit finish in Pyrenees – as it happened
That’s the lot for today. Merci for reading, and for your emails. Can anyone stop Pogacar? It’s looking highly unlikely. Bye for now.Tuck into our snap stage 12 report here:On or near the podium, Macron and Pogacar shake hands
Tour de France: Pogacar demolishes rivals with devastating stage 12 win in Pyrenees
Tadej Pogacar dominated Jonas Vingegaard on the slopes of Hautacam to take a commanding lead in the Tour de France. After the first summit finish of 2025, the defending champion’s next overall victory now appears an inevitability. Pogacar beat his rival to the ski station finish by well over two minutes and now leads the Tour by more than three and half minutes, with nine stages remaining.Pas de suspense, the French would say, and after the Slovenian’s eighth career stage win in the Pyrenees, Vingegaard is scrambling to sustain a meaningful challenge. If Pogacar had been scared when crashing in Toulouse, 24 hours earlier, he showed no ill effects as he dealt a lethal blow to Vingegaard’s aspirations under a fierce Pyrenean sun
Twelve-year-old Chinese swimmer takes stunning times to world championships
A 12-year-old swimmer has qualified for the world championships in Singapore after her performance at China’s nationals placed her times among the world’s elite this season.Yu Zidi’s 200m butterfly time was one of the fastest globally and would have narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal last year. She also posted a competitive time in the 400m individual medley, close to an Olympic podium pace.Yu’s times are quicker than Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh at the same age. McIntosh, now 18, holds the world records in both medley events and won three Olympic gold medals last year
Welsh wipeout in Lions squad for first time since 1896 reflects sorry decline
When the British & Irish Lions last won a Test series in 2013, Leigh Halfpenny scored a record 49 points and fellow Wales international Sam Warburton captained the side to glory in Australia with Warren Gatland coaching. Twelve years on, for the first time since 1896, not a single Welsh player will be represented in the Lions’ matchday squad for Saturday’s first Test in Brisbane.Jac Morgan’s omission is a sign of rugby’s decline in Wales in recent years, a far cry from the glorious 1970s when household names like Gareth Edwards, Barry John and JPR Williams were indispensable figures.There was always a distinct possibility of a Welsh wipeout though, with scrum-half Tomos Williams, one of only two Wales players on the plane to Australia, already out with a torn hamstring. However, the Lions coach, Andy Farrell, refused to play into the narrative, claiming Morgan was “as close as you could imagine” to getting selected
Victorian regulator weighs unprecedented intervention in AFL’s fight with bookmakers over gambling revenue
The Victorian gambling regulator is considering whether to make an unprecedented intervention in a dispute between the AFL and bookmakers, which could set a limit on the league’s revenue from wagering.Earlier this year, the AFL proposed a significant increase to the amount of money it receives from each bet placed on its game. The league also proposed a minimum $20,000 annual fee for all bookmakers, including small operators who focus on racing.Leaked documents seen by Guardian Australia revealed the cash grab was justified as a way to address what AFL executives termed an “unprecedented” increase in “integrity risks” posed by the wagering industry, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.The documents outlined concerns the AFL’s integrity system was seriously deficient and struggled to identify whether players, coaches and staff were using inside information to manipulate betting markets, in breach of their contracts
Lions still on red alert despite gaping holes in Australia’s team sheet | Robert Kitson
Sometimes the best place to gauge the mindset of a head coach before a big game is not the training pitch or the press conference room but the pub across the road. Which is where Andy Farrell and his wife, Colleen, were enjoying a relaxing post-team selection drink by an open window when a few of us happened to wander past en route back from dinner.There may be a huge contest looming but, the closer it draws, the more at ease Farrell is beginning to look. While the competitor in him loves the approaching whiff of cordite he is not a man who believes in sitting and fretting in his room before major contests. He likes to be out and about, getting a sense of the local mood and helping to fill the quiet before the storm
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