Kate Osamor has had the Labour whip restored after an internal investigation was conducted into her comments on Holocaust Memorial Day.
The MP for Edmonton apologised for sending her local party members a message saying Gaza should be remembered as a genocide on the eve of the memorial day.
Osamor, a former shadow development secretary, had said there was an “international duty” to remember the victims of the Holocaust, as well as “more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and now Gaza”.
She later tweeted an apology, in which she said: “Holocaust Memorial Day is a day to remember the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and the genocides that have occurred since. I apologise for any offence caused by my reference to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza as part of that period of remembrance.”
The decision to readmit her to the party was confirmed by Labour’s chief whip, Alan Campbell.
The Guardian understands Osamor was administratively suspended from the party shortly after her comments came to light, and has been given a formal written warning.
A senior Labour figure had questioned the timing of her readmission, claiming the whips’ office had ignored outstanding complaints that had been made to the party.
A number of Labour MPs had voiced their concerns over Osamor’s investigation, given it had been expected a decision would be made after three months. Some went further, noting how long it had taken the party to make a decision over Diane Abbott’s future. It has been more than a year since Abbott was suspended from the party.
“Why have they [Osamor and Abbott] suffered worse treatment than their white male counterparts?” a senior Labour MP said.
A Labour party spokesperson said: “The chief whip has today restored the Labour whip to Kate Osamor MP. This follows a full investigation by the Labour party into complaints received about a social media post she made in January.”
Osamor added: “I am grateful to the Labour party for their investigation into my conduct and I accept the outcome in full. I want to unreservedly apologise again for my comments. I made remarks which were insensitive, inappropriate, and which I apologise for and regret.
“I will continue to reach out to Jewish stakeholders and the community. I am committed to ensuring that I don’t fall short of the highest standards. I look forward to continuing to represent my constituents of Edmonton in Westminster as a Labour MP.”
The news broke hours after the Tory MP Natalie Elphicke was welcomed into the Labour party, leaving Osamor and Abbott “out of the Labour fold”, and some MPs frustrated. Another senior Labour figure said: “Abbott represents true Labour values. She has experienced so much abuse on a personal level and was quick to apologise. Why is her apology not enough?”
This year, Martin Forde KC, the author of a report into the Labour party’s culture, said he had been concerned about a growing “perception” that someone closer to the leadership’s politics would not be treated as harshly as others with different politics.
“Perception was the thing that concerned myself and the peers that assisted me. If you want a fair and transparent system, it has to deal with things consistently,” he told the BBC.
“I’m aware, from discussions with some of the MPs within the party who might be described as more left-leaning, that they feel when it comes to disciplinary action taken against them, things move rather slowly, but if you’re in the right faction of the party, as it were, then things are either dealt with more leniently or more swiftly,” he added.
A Jewish Labour Movement spokesperson said: “Kate Osamor’s original actions and non-apology were disgraceful and smeared the memory of all those who died in the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Darfur, Rwanda and Bosnia, as commemorated by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. It is right that, as we understand, she has received a formal written warning from the Labour party.
“The onus is now on her to engage with her local Jewish community in Enfield and the wider community properly. Given her previous record and comments in this area, this will require a sincere and honest approach. Until and unless this happens, the jury is still out.”
A Momentum spokesperson added: “No Labour MP should be suspended for recognising the reality of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“However, it only highlights the outrage that is the leadership’s disgraceful mistreatment of Diane Abbott, who has now been suspended from the parliamentary Labour party for over a year.”
