Analysis Breaking

Society of Black Lawyers chair condemns Starmer’s interference and prejudice vs Abbott

Judge Peter Herbert OBE, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, has spoken out to condemn Keir Starmer’s prejudice and interference in the suspension of Diane Abbott, the UK’s first black female MP. Abbott has been suspended by the party pending an investigation into her comments in a letter to a newspaper, but Starmer has already condemned them as ‘antisemitic’. Abbott has apologised for the comments, but many in the UK’s Black communities have told Skwawkbox that she had nothing to apologise for in pointing out that people of colour face a different kind and frequency of racism than those who appear ‘white’.

Herbert has said publicly, through his Twitter account under hashtags about racism and justice, that Starmer has contaminated the process – and has breached the Equalities and Human Rights Commission’s ban on political interference in disciplinary processes:

Given Starmer’s record of contempt for natural justice and indifference toward anti-Black racism, it is unlikely his hopes will be fulfilled. Starmer should be grovelling to Diane Abbott and all the other Black people whose abuse by the Labour right he has condoned, enabled and covered up, but he does not have the decency.

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20 comments

  1. The “investigation” would not be conducted quickly enough. My educated guess is that comes the next GE, the Labour’s whip wouldn’t have been restored to Diana Abbott yet, hence unable to stand for re-election as a Labour candidate.
    Labour Region pressured for time, would appoint by “decree” possibly Polly Billington a local Cllr that allegedly is favoured by Labour HQ
    Billington was expected to be elected PLP in the safe seat of Derby South but, couldn’t once the outgoing MP openly supported the leader of the local Labour group.
    This is a super safe Labour seat, but I believe Abbot standing as independent will have not trouble in win it any candidate Labour HQ put forward.

    1. My guess is that after the independent investigation Diane will be reinstated but will stand down at the next General Election citing ill-health.

    2. If Diane were to pre-empt Starmer and announce her willingness to stand as an Independent, it would cause Sir bully-boy to not target other SCG MPs so readily.

      Do it Diane! – almost 300,000 former party members would support you.

      1. Given that she will be 70 at the next election why would she take the risk of ending her political career in failure and rejection when the probable alternative of reinstatement, stepping down as an MP with her honour dignity intact and maybe a gong (or even a peerage) would be a far more fitting legacy.

      2. Corbyn should do the same and declare that he will stand in Islington North.
        I agree with you qwertboi, if Diane fails to declare her intentions to stand as independent it would encourage Starmer to go after other SCG members.
        Starmer is now doing in a drip, drip approach but as soon as a General Election is on the way, Starmer will be looking to withdraw the Labour whip from most of them. Following Boris Johnson’s example in the summer of 2019.

      3. Surely, for a socialist to end her/his career with a “gong” or a peerage would be without honour and dignity, and would end in the failure to stand by what s/he believes in.

      4. goldbach – Did you say the same about Jeremy’s failed attempt to get Karie Murphy a peerage.

      5. Hard to follow the “reasoning” in your comment.
        Are you agreeing with my view, but asserting that Mr. Corbyn would be liable to having the same conclusion reached if he had tried to acquire a peerage for Ms. Murphy?
        Or are you saying that you disagree with my view, and would have welcomed it if Ms.Murphy had been offered, and accepted, a peerage?
        Or are you deviating again?
        If you could clarify your position I might wish to respond.

  2. Where the fuck is UNCLE TOM Lammy a white mans N who protects his master instead of standing up for DA and the black community

  3. Right Wing Lab won’t let Dianne stand in Hackney (where she is loved) like JC in Islington so if both stood as Independents I believe they’d win and we’d have 2 socialists.
    I wish JC would turn his Peace & Justice Project into a Political Party & it would have
    200,000+ members in a few weeks & £10m+ to campaign with.
    If not 620 of us could stand as JC Independents (but not standing against the few genuine socialist Lab MPs).
    I believe it will be a Hung Parliament after the next GE with Right Wing Lab being the biggest party.
    So a Gang of Two or a Socialist Bloc of 80+ Corbyn Part 2 – Keeping The Dream Alive! Solidarity!

    1. Bazza

      Indeed it would. Peace & Justice is like a political atom bomb primed to explode onto the political scene and demolish RW ,authoritarian New New Labour. Starmer and the establishment would be left reeling in total dismay.

      Huge sense of political disenfranchisement everywhere to capitalise on, for many, UK politics is dead until Starmer goes or is removed. He’s literally an establishment installed roadblock to socialism

      Recent polls showed 60% plus are thoroughly dissatisfied with the ‘big two’ parties. P&J would have a good chance of take PLP RW scalps in the election in student constituencies if all the ex-Labour members got behind it and promoted it.

      1. SteveH

        My theory probably won’t be tested, so you’ll likely never know.

        But I see little practical difference between Sunak and Starmer. I really don’t understand the desperate desire of some to remove the Tories, not with this version of Labour waiting to taker over. What practical difference will it make to them?

        I notice Sir Keir Rodney Starmer has over the last few days abandoned plans to publish an autobiography. He’s apparently decided not to proceed with the project and returned the £18,000 advance.

        We can all guess why…. His ‘poverty’ backstory is embellished BS, as we now know. But the real problem I reckon, is it’d mean setting out his beliefs; his guiding principles and ideological underpinnings. Remember, this is the man who wrote of “making the moral case for socialism” in the
        foreword of his glossy leadership campaign literature, right before the 10 Pledges.

      2. Andy – Doesn’t the fact that even you think it is unlikely tell you something.🤔

        Perhaps you should try taking off your blinkers and actually familiarise yourself with Labour’s current policy platform.

  4. familiarise yourself with Labour’s current policy platform.

    And give Sisyphus the day off?

    Key word there being current

    This week’s (current) policy = next week’s anathema.

    May as well hurl pigs off a cliff in the hope they evolve wings, rather than familiarise yourself with *labour’s* current policy platform

  5. Given that she will be 70 at the next election why would she take the risk of ending her political career

    And how old was Dennis Skinner when (formerly fanatically pro-eu) smarmerism euthanised murdered his long-standing, vocational political career?

    Stop hiding behind Abbott’s and Corbyn’s superannuity and just have the common courtesy to tell us what we all KNOW by admitting that you’re terrified of them denying keef the majority he’s gonna fall short of.

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