LABOUR was plunged into more chaos today after Keir Starmer denied claims Diane Abbott had been banned from standing as a candidate.
The veteran left-winger appeared to confirm she was blocked from contesting her Hackney North seat for the party after being handed back the whip following a year-plus suspension.
But Labour chief Starmer rubbished claims she had been banned despite Ms Abbott confirming the decision in a statement to the BBC and Sky.
Ms Abbott, 70, told the broadcasters: “Although the whip has been restored, I am banned from standing as a Labour candidate.”
But just hours later she threw doubt on the claim, posting on X/Twitter: "Naturally I am delighted to have the Labour Whip restored and to be a member of the PLP.
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"Thank you to all those who supported me along the way.
"I will be campaigning for a Labour victory.
"But I am very dismayed that numerous reports suggest I have been barred as a candidate."
Yesterday Mr Starmer suggested Abbott's claims were incorrect and his party's National Executive Committee had not yet decided whether to allow the MP to stand.
Speaking at a campaign event in the West Midlands, he said: "No, that's not true.
"No decision has been taken. The process that we were going through ended with the restoration of the whip the other day.
"So she's a member of the parliamentary Labour Party and no decision has been taken."
Sources suggested officials were trying to fix a deal with Ms Abbott for her to get the whip back in return for ending her 36-year House of Commons career.
But asked if Ms Abbott wanted to stand for Labour, her pal and lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie told the BBC: "I think she wants to be given the opportunity to make that decision."
This morning, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, when asked if he felt “comfortable” with the treatment of Ms Abbott, said: “No, not particularly.”
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He later told the BBC he was "pleased" that she had been given the whip back but would not say if he thought Ms Abbott should be allowed to stand.
He said: “This is a decision for the Labour Party's National Executive Committee.
"Keir Starmer, when he talks about improving standards in the Labour Party, he really meant it.
“I don't know the specific factors that apply in Diane Abbott's case.
“I was pleased actually yesterday that her suspension was lifted and the whip was restored.
“It's not my decision and I have no idea (of) the basis on which the decision is made, and I have nothing more to say.
"The Labour Party has fundamentally changed since the party that was rejected in 2019.
“And I say this with enormous respect for Diane Abbott, and everything she has achieved in politics as a trailblazer and someone who, despite our disagreements, I have huge respect for.
"What is at stake on July 4 affects millions of people across our country.”
Reacting to the latest Labour in-fighting, PM Rishi Sunak said: "The Labour Party has been telling everybody this investigation into Diane Abbott is ongoing, it now appears it concluded months ago.
"So really it's a question for them to clear this all up, what happened when, be transparent about it."
Members of Labour's National Executive Committee had until next Tuesday to make a final judgement after an investigation concluded last December.
Moderates on the body don’t believe that Ms Abbott has expressed “sincere remorse” for comparing antisemitism to being teased for having ginger hair.
They are also furious about the veteran MP's repeated attacks on Sir Keir and the way he's moved the party further to the centre.
Some NEC members were considering triggering a “change of circumstances panel” as a way to force her out as a candidate if she refused to quit.
Responding to questions over whether Abbott will stand, Sir Keir Starmer said: “The process as a whole obviously involves both the finding of fact and then the consequent action on the back of that which the chief whip oversees… that always takes time.
“So the process as a whole has not completed, but in the end, it's a matter for the NEC.”
The independent MP was suspended from the Labour Parliamentary party a year ago after suggesting Jewish people face prejudice - but not racism - similar to “redheads”.
She apologised for the comments, which were sent in a letter to the Observer newspaper.
Tory Chairman Richard Holden last night said: “On Friday Sir Keir Starmer said that the investigation into Diane Abbott’s conduct was ongoing and ‘not resolved’.
“Now it has been confirmed the Labour investigation into Diane Abbott concluded five months ago and she has already been given a formal warning. It's inconceivable that Starmer, the Labour Leader, wasn't told the process had finished and a warning issued.
“No ifs, no buts, this isn’t another flip-flop or yet another policy u-turn. Sir Keir Starmer has blatantly lied to the British people and has serious questions to answer.”
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said the lack of clarity on Diane's position showed Keir Starmer's lack of leadership.
He said: "He offered to put someone in as Home Secretary a few years ago who he now doesn’t think is good enough to stand as a candidate for the Labour party. It’s a remarkable switch.”
Labour’s position has come under increased scrutiny because of Sir Keir’s decision to admit Natalie Elphicke into the party.
It came despite her support for Brexit and accusations over her role in lobbying ministers over her then-husband Charlie’s sexual assault case.
