UK Labour Restores Parliamentary Whip to Diane Abbott and Joani Reid

LONDON: Britain’s Labour Party has restored the parliamentary whip to veteran lawmaker Diane Abbott and Scottish MP Joani Reid following the completion of separate independent disciplinary processes, allowing both to return to the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Diane Abbott, Britain’s first Black woman elected to Parliament and the House of Commons’ longest-serving female MP, had been suspended in 2025 after reiterating controversial remarks on racism that had previously led to an earlier suspension in 2023. Labour said an independent panel reviewed her case in accordance with party rules before approving her reinstatement.

Abbott said she had received a formal warning over a separate social media post in which she referred to the Israel Defense Forces as the “Jewish Defence Force.” She apologized, saying she regretted wording that conflated the actions of the Israeli state with the Jewish community and reaffirmed her commitment to opposing racism and antisemitism in all its forms.

Joani Reid, MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, was also readmitted after voluntarily relinquishing the Labour whip earlier this year following the arrest of her husband on suspicion of assisting Chinese intelligence. Reid was never accused of wrongdoing or placed under police investigation, and Labour confirmed that an independent review had cleared the way for her return.

The reinstatements come shortly after Prime Minister Andy Burnham assumed leadership of the Labour Party. Party officials emphasized that the decisions were reached independently and without political interference, although Abbott’s return has drawn criticism from some Jewish community leaders who questioned whether she had shown sufficient remorse.