UK general election LIVE: Diane Abbott claims she is BANNED from standing for Labour on July 4 despite having whip restored as row threatens to overshadow Keir Starmer’s NHS pledge on wait times – latest updates from the campaign trail

We can now bring you the moment Labour’s Wes Streeting was asked for his reaction to Diane Abbott’s assertion she has been banned from standing for the party in the upcoming election.

Mr Streeting is on the morning interview round for Labour today and undoubtedly wants to talk about a new NHS pledge over treatment times.

Labour shadow health secretary Wes Streeting (pictured) said he was “not particularly” comfortable with how fellow Labour MP Diane Abbott has been treated by the Labour Party.

I know that Diane had the whip restored and her suspension lifted yesterday. This was following her suspension over remarks that she made, for which she later apologised. So I know at this stage, in terms of decisions about her candidature, as much as has been reported.

I think this has gone on for a very long time. But I’m here this morning to talk about the NHS waiting lists and I say this with enormous respect for everything that Diane has achieved in politics.

Asked if Ms Abbott was owed an apology Mr Streeting said:

Diane rightly apologised for the comments that she made that led to her suspension, as to the process, I think those questions are better directed to people responsible for the process.

I think it’s best that we wait for all other facts to emerge about the decision making in this case, which I’ve not been involved in, have no responsibility for and I’m here to talk about the seven and a half million people who are on NHS waiting lists.

Diane Abbott, the veteran Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, has confirmed reports she has been blocked from standing as a party candidate on July 4.

Britain’s first black female MP said briefings were published in newspapers ‘within minutes’ of having the Labour whip restored after she was suspended from the parliamentary party for more than a year.

• Ms Abbott was suspended from Labour amid an investigation into her comments about Jewish people in a letter to the Observer newspaper in April last year.
• The MP had responded to writer Tomiwa Owolade’s claims that “Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from ‘racism'” and suggested Jewish people were not ‘all their lives subject to racism’
• On Tuesday, BBC Newsnight reported an investigation into Ms Abbott’s remarks was completed in December 2023 which saw her issued with a formal warning and ordered to complete an ‘antisemitism awareness course’.
• Amid intensifying questions over whether she would stand in the election, Ms Abbott had the Labour whip restored on Tuesday afternoon.
• But she has now confirmed reports stating she would still not be allowed to run as a Labour MP are accurate. Labour is yet to respond to Ms Abbott on Wednesday morning.

Our political editor James Tapsfield has the story on Diane Abbott following her claims she has been banned from standing as a Labour MP in the general election.

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has been given somewhat of a hospital pass this morning as he faces the media intent on grilling him over Diane Abbott.

Ms Abbott has just told the BBC and other outlets she is banned from standing for Labour at the general election despite having the whip restored to her following an investigation over a letter she wrote suggesting Jewish people do not face racism ‘all their lives’.

Mr Streeting told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, ‘I’m hearing this for the first time’, when he is asked about Ms Abbott’s claims.

Diane Abbott has claimed Labour has banned her from representing the party at the general election.

The veteran MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said she had the whip restored on Tuesday but ‘within minutes’ newspaper reports emerged that she would not be allowed to stand for Labour on July 4

She told The Evening Standard:

I had the whip restored yesterday afternoon but within minutes we saw they had briefed the Times the story as attached, that you have probably seen. And it is true.

Big news first up this morning.

Diane Abbott has said she is barred from standing in the general election for Labour despite having the whip restored following an investigation into her conduct.

We will bring you more as we get it.

Rishi Sunak headed to the Potteries and later played bowls as he pushed his new tax cut for pensioners dubbed the ‘triple lock plus’, while shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves was in Derby, a short hop along the A50, setting out her first major speech of the campaign.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey ventured onto a paddleboard in the Lake District and Nigel Farage visited Dover on behalf of Reform UK.

Here are five takeaways from a busy day:

Stick with us for the latest news and reaction throughout the day.

Firstly, let’s take a look at today’s front page story on the Daily Mail following Rishi Sunak’s new pledge concerning apprenticeships

Harriet Line, the Mail’s Deputy Political Editor, reports Rishi Sunak’s latest pledge will see ‘rip-off’ degrees scrapped under a new law to boost young people’s life chances.

One in eight students could see their course axed in a bid to cut down on ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees and pay for 100,000 apprenticeships.

Read Harriet’s story here:

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the general election.

We’ve reached the halfway stage in the first full week of campaigning with parties on the trail hunting for votes across the country.

Join us today as we bring you all the latest news plus the best pictures and reaction on social media.