UK general election LIVE: Diane Abbott claims she is BANNED from standing for Labor on July 4 despite having her whip reinstated, as friends urge Keir Starmer to show veteran MP 'more respect and dignity'

We can now bring you the moment when Labour's Wes Streeting was asked for his response to Diane Abbott's claim that she has been barred from standing for the party in the upcoming election.

Mr Streeting is at Labor's morning interview today and will no doubt want to talk about a new NHS promise on treatment times.

Labor shadow health secretary Wes Streeting (pictured) said he was “not particularly” comfortable with the way fellow Labor MP Diane Abbott was being treated by the Labor Party.

I know that Diane had her whip reinstated and her suspension lifted yesterday. This followed her suspension for comments she made, for which she later apologized. So I know at this stage, in terms of decisions about her candidacy, as much as has been reported.

I think this has been going on for a long time. But I'm here this morning to talk about NHS waiting lists and I say this with enormous respect for everything Diane has achieved in politics.

Asked whether Ms Abbott was owed an apology, Mr Streeting said:

Diane rightly apologized for the comments she made that led to her suspension. As far as the process is concerned, I think those questions are better directed to the people responsible for the process.

I think it's best that we wait until all the other facts come to light about the decision-making in this case, which I have not been involved in, which I have no responsibility for, and I am here to talk about the seven and half a million people on NHS waiting lists.

Diane Abbott, the veteran Labor MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, has confirmed reports that she has been barred from standing as the party's candidate on July 4.

Britain's first black female MP said the briefings were published in newspapers “within minutes” of the Labor whip being reinstated after being suspended from the parliamentary party for more than a year.

• Ms Abbott was suspended from Labor amid an investigation into her comments about Jewish people in a letter to the Observer newspaper last April.
• The MP had responded to writer Tomiwa Owolade's claims that “Irish, Jews and Travelers all suffer from 'racism'” and suggested that Jewish people were not “subject to racism all their lives.”
• On Tuesday, BBC Newsnight reported that an investigation into Ms Abbott's comments concluded in December 2023, with her being given a formal warning and ordered to complete an 'anti-Semitism awareness course'.
• Amid mounting questions over whether she would stand for election, Ms Abbott had the Labor whip reinstated on Tuesday afternoon.
• But she has now confirmed that reports that she would still not stand as a Labor MP are correct. Labor had not responded to Ms Abbott as of Wednesday morning.

Our political editor James Tapsfield has the story on Diane Abbott following her claims that she has been barred from standing as a Labor MP at the general election.

Labour's shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, has been given a hospital pass of sorts this morning as he faces media challenges to challenge him over Diane Abbott.

Mrs Abbott has just told the BBC and other media that she has been banned from standing as a Labor candidate in the general election, despite being handed the whip after an investigation into a letter she wrote suggesting that Jewish people should not have to deal with racism 'their entire life'.

Mr Streeting told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I'm hearing this for the first time' when asked about Ms Abbott's claims.

Diane Abbott has claimed that Labor has banned her from representing the party at the general election.

The veteran MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said she had the whip reinstated on Tuesday, but “within minutes” newspaper reports emerged that she would not stand as a Labor candidate on July 4.

She told The Evening Standard:

I had the whip restored yesterday afternoon, but within minutes we saw that they had told the Times the attached story, which you have probably seen. And it's true.

First big news this morning.

Diane Abbott has said she has been barred from standing in the Labor general election, despite the whip being reinstated following an investigation into her conduct.

We'll bring you more as soon as we get it.

Rishi Sunak went to the Potteries and later played bowls as he pushed through his new tax cut for pensioners, dubbed the 'triple lock plus', while shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves was in Derby, a short drive along the A50, where she made her first major speech . the campaign.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey ventured into the Lake District on a paddleboard and Nigel Farage visited Dover on behalf of Reform UK.

Here are five tips for a busy day:

Stay tuned throughout the day for the latest news and reactions.

Let's first look at today's front page story from the Daily Mail, following Rishi Sunak's new apprenticeship pledge

Harriet Line, deputy political editor of the Mail, reports that Rishi Sunak's latest pledge will see 'rip-off' degrees scrapped under a new law aimed at boosting young people's life chances.

One in eight students could see their studies halted in a bid to reduce the number of 'Mickey Mouse' degrees and pay for 100,000 apprenticeships.

Read Harriet's story here:

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the General Election.

We are halfway through the first full week of campaigning with parties hunting for votes across the country.

Join us today as we bring you the latest news plus the best photos and social media reactions.