‘When I heard the news I went potty’: Diane Abbott’s Hackney constituents react to Labour ‘election ban’

People living in Diane Abbott’s Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency voiced their views as the uncertainty hangs over the future of the veteran MP

A Hackney resident has vowed to not vote Labour at the general election for the first time in her life because of the “disgusting” way she say said the party had treated Diane Abbott.

Mignol Gregory, 78, was among Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituents reacting to the row over the future of their MP on Wednesday, as Ms Abbott vowed to represent them for “as long as it is possible” at a rally in the evening.

Veteran left-winger Ms Abbott had the Labour whip restored on Tuesday following her suspension, but whether or not she will be able to stand as a candidate for the party in the 4 July general election remains mired in uncertainty.

Retired chef Ms Gregory said she had voted Labour in the Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency for 60 years, voting for Ms Abbott as the party’s candidate since she was first elected as the area’s MP in 1987, becoming Britain’s first black female MP.

However, the 78-year-old said she will not be voting Labour at the 4 July general election - but instead will actively abstain after Ms Abbott had told news outlets the party’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) had banned her from standing for Labour.

The reported decision, denied by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, comes more than a year on from her suspension after an investigation into comments she made about racism.

Speaking about Ms Abbott, Ms Gregory told The Independent: “When I heard the news I went potty ... It’s disgusting what they’ve done to her. I feel very strongly about it. She’s been unfairly treated. She’s given Stoke Newington 40 years of her life and done a lot for the Black community here ... I’m not voting Labour because of the way they treated her. I’m not voting at all.”

Veteran left-winger Ms Abbott had the Labour whip restored on Tuesday (PA Wire)

Standing on Stoke Newington Road with a group of her friends, including retired nurses and carers, she accused Sir Keir of racism as she directly blamed him for the “bad” treatment of Ms Abbott – and the other women, who also live locally, chimed in to agree.

The constituency has always been a Labour stronghold, with many residents holding liberal and left-leaning views, and Ms Abbott taking a 33,188 majority in the 2019 general election for Labour.

However, constituents seem to have connected specifically with Ms Abbott as an individual beyond the party she represents, following her decades-long tenure as the area’s MP. This relationship shone through in conversations among residents up and down the main thoroughfare running through her constituency on sunny Wednesday morning.

Walking along Stoke Newington High Street with her young daughter, Sarah Gray, 44, described Ms Abbott as an MP who “cares”, citing the multiple personal responses from the MP’s office to letters she has sent over the war in Gaza.

Retired chef Mignol Gregory (centre) says she has voted Labour in the Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency for 60 years (The Independent)

The 44-year-old said she had always voted for Ms Abbott and that it would be a “shame” if the MP was banned from standing for Labour at the general election. “There are a lot of MPs out there who have done far worse,” she argued. However, Ms Gray said she will still be voting for Labour’s candidate on 4 July in the hope of forcing the Conservatives out of government.

Jack, who only wanted to give his first name, said he has lived in the area his whole life and always voted for Labour. He called for Ms Abbott to be allowed to stand for the party at the upcoming general election.

Walking along Stoke Newington High Street with her young daughter, Sarah Gray, 44, described Ms Abbott as an MP who ‘cares’ (The Independent)

Ms Abbott had the Labour whip suspended in April 2023 pending an investigation after she suggested Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice but not racism in a letter she wrote in The Observer.

The former shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn immediately apologised over her comments and said the letter had been an “initial draft”.

Diane Abbott addresses her supporters and the media on the steps of Hackney Town Hall on Wednesday (Getty Images)

It emerged on Tuesday that the investigation into Ms Abbott had concluded in December, despite Sir Keir insisting this month that it was still “ongoing”.

Despite the restoration of the whip on Tuesday, Ms Abbott appeared to believe she had been barred from standing in her seat on 4 July “I am very dismayed that numerous reports suggest I have been barred as a candidate,” she said.

However, the Labour leader told reporters in Worcester “it’s not true” that Ms Abbott had been barred. “No decision has been taken to bar Diane Abbott,” he said.

Addressing a crowd outside Hackney Town Hall on Wednesday evening, Ms Abbott vowed to be the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington “as long as it is possible”. She said: “You have always stood with me in good times and bad and I will always stand with you.”