Diane Abbott has been suspended pending an investigation into a letter she wrote about racism for The Observer newspaper, the party has confirmed.
The move comes just moments after the MP apologised for suggesting Jewish people do not face racism, and instead cope with prejudice similar to that suffered by "redheads". The former shadow home secretary said in the letter published in the Observer where she made the comment had been an “initial draft” sent by mistake.
Response to an article which had the headline "Racism in Britain is not a black and white issue. It's far more complicated," the 69-year-old was responding to writer Tomiwa Owolade's claims that "Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from 'racism'". The letter provoked a furious reaction before she today issued an apology as she said she wished to withdrew her remarks.
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“I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them,” she said. “The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse, and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused.
“Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others. “Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them.”
The Labour MP's letter to the publication drew an angry response on social media, reports the Mirror. "They undoubtedly experience prejudice," Ms Abbott wrote.
"This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable. It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism.
"In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote.
"And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships."
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