As hundreds gathered outside Hackney Town Hall in east London, cries of “we stand with Diane” rang out. Among the protesters – from children to the elderly – was a red banner pledging “solidarity” with Diane Abbott, while a sign declared: “Hands off our MP.”
They had gathered on Wednesday barely 24 hours after reports that Ms Abbott, Britain’s first Black female MP, was to be banned from standing for Labour after representing the party for 37 years – derailing Sir Keir Starmer’s first week of his election campaign and deepening a rift in the party.
