A grassroots petition calling on Keir Starmer to restore the Parliamentary Labour Party whip to Diane Abbott has reached the landmark of 15,000 signatures, with over 3,000 people signing in less than a day.

Marking the petition reaching this level of support Labour member of the House of Lords Lord John Hendy KC, said, “The idea that Diane Abbott should not be permitted to stand as a Labour Party candidate in the forthcoming general election is unthinkable. It would be the ultimate insult on top of the catalogue of vile abuse she suffered at the hands of the Party recorded by Martin Forde KC in his Report. It must not happen.”

Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP issued similar comments, saying, “I am appealing to Keir Starmer to restore the whip to Diane and let her stand as a Labour candidate. As the first Black woman MP and with her campaigning record on behalf of her community and the Labour Party, she is an iconic figure and especially inspiring to young Black women. I am just asking for her to be created fairly.”

Welcoming the surge in support for the campaign, BFAWU General Secretary Sarah Woolley said, “Diane Abbott has stood with trade unions for decades – and now workers across our trade unions are standing with Diane, a trailblazer who deserves our full solidarity. The amazing support for this petition shows what support she has out there – Labour should do the right thing and restore the whip without delay.”

The co-convenor of Stand up to Racism, Sabby Dhalu said, “Labour voters do not want a Parliamentary Labour Party that welcomes Natalie Elphicke but excludes Diane Abbott. As we enter a general election campaign Labour cannot afford to alienate Black voters. Polls show 80% of Black voters won’t vote Labour if Diane Abbott is not a Labour candidate. Labour must restore the whip to Diane Abbott.”

A similar position was expressed by Labour member of the House of Lords Shami Chakrabarti in comments to the Independent yesterday, when she said:“If the tent is big enough for her [Natalie Elphicke], I feel sure that Britain’s first Black woman MP, who has sustained more racist and misogynist abuse than anyone, will have her whip restored urgently.”

Giving a local perspective on the growing support for Diane, former Branch Labour Party and Hackney Local Campaigns Forum Secretary, Pat Corrigan, said: “Diane Abbott was democratically reselected by an overwhelming majority of Hackney North branches and affiliates. Keir Starmer should allow Diane to stand as our candidate. She is the members’ choice.”

All Hackney North and Stoke Newington Labour Party branches had voted overwhelmingly for Diane to be their candidate. She won re-election on eight occasions since she first stood for office since becoming the first Black woman MPs in British history in 1987. She opposed the Iraq War, challenged racist policing in Hackney and beyond and supports the creation of a truly independent Palestinian state.  She as a leading opponent of the immigration Act 2014, which led directly to the Windrush scandal and her speech on civil liberties, in the debate on the Counter-Terrorism Bill 2008, won the Spectator magazine’s “Parliamentary Speech of the Year” award, and further recognition at the 2008 Human Rights awards.

Diane was the first Black woman to be elected to any national legislature in Western Europe, the first Black person to be included in Labour’s shadow cabinet as Shadow Home Secretary and is the longest serving Black Member of Parliament. Diane has faced levels of racism and misogyny that have shocked many across Britain. She commands respect internationally. while her commitment to be an effective voice in Parliament for Hackney residents remains unbreakable. She represents the best of Labour Party and movement values.

 She has helped transform the constituency into one of Labour’s safest seats, recording over 70% of the vote in 2019. Keir Starmer himself recognised her repeatedly as a “trailblazer”. Diane apologised swiftly and unreservedly for causing any offence after publication of a letter in the Observer last April. For 13 months she has awaited the outcome of a supposedly independent disciplinary process.

Many see a clear factional double standard in the treatment of Diane Abbott. Figures on the right of the Party have been treated far more leniently for more serious offences. Neil Coyle MP had the whip restored after initially being suspended for drunken abuse and making racist comments to a journalist. He then claimed the cost of an anti-racism course he attended on parliamentary expenses.  The MP had also reportedly previously had a complaint of sexual harassment upheld against him over an incident at a past Labour Conference.

Barking and Dagenham Council Leader Darren Rodwell remains a Labour prospective parliamentary candidate, despite ‘joking’ that he had “the worst tan possible for a black man”.

The petition is intended to show the high levels of support for Diane’s candidacy. It was initiated by the Labour Assembly Against Austerity and Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas. Commenting on behalf of the two organisations, Matt Willgress said: “Each day we see illustrations of the growing support there is for Diane to have the whip restored across the whole Labour Party and trade union movement – from Ed Balls, through to Polly Toynbee, through to John McDonnell and numerous trade union affiliates. It’s time to do the right thing and restore the whip.”

The petition has also been supported by numerous prominent figures on social media including Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Beth Winter, Richard Leonard, Richard Burgon, Apsana Begum, Jon Trickett, Nadia Whittome, Ian Lavery, ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan, TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust, Grace Blakeley, Andrew Fisher, Alex Nunns, Simon Fletcher, James Scheider and Ben Sellers, plus the Labour Women Leading group. The General Secretaries of four affiliated trade unions – ASLEF, CWU, FBU and TSSA – recently wrote to Keir Starmer asking for the whip to be restored. You can read their letter in full here.

The petition can be signed here.