Diane Abbott has been suspended pending an investigation into a letter she wrote about racism for The Observer newspaper, the party has confirmed.
The move comes just moments after the MP apologised for suggesting Jewish people do not face racism, and instead cope with prejudice similar to that suffered by "redheads". The former shadow home secretary said in the letter published in the Observer where she made the comment had been an “initial draft” sent by mistake.
Response to an article which had the headline "Racism in Britain is not a black and white issue. It's far more complicated," the 69-year-old was responding to writer Tomiwa Owolade's claims that "Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from 'racism'". The letter provoked a furious reaction before she today issued an apology as she said she wished to withdrew her remarks.
