Labour Party restores whip to Diane Abbott and Joani Reid

Published Jul 30, 09:26 PM UTC

Diane Abbott, the veteran Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington and Mother of the House, and Joani Reid, MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, have both been readmitted to the Labour Party and had the parliamentary whip restored. Abbott was suspended for a second time in summer 2025 after saying she did not regret previous comments about racism that led to her initial 2023 suspension. She has now apologized for a tweet in which she inadvertently referred to the Israeli Defence Force as the 'Jewish Defence Force'. Joani Reid resigned the whip in March 2026 after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China; she has not been accused of wrongdoing. A Labour Party spokesperson confirmed the readmissions followed an independent process under party rules. A Survation poll for LabourList found 64% of party members supported Abbott's readmission. Both MPs expressed commitment to supporting new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government.