dianne buswell career over this. i m joined now by the journalist ben smoke who is from a roma background. thank you forjoining us. what was yourfirst reaction when thank you forjoining us. what was your first reaction when you read that letter in the observer? i reflect many of the comments that have been set. i think it was a terrible letter. the content of it was awful. i think diane was correct to retract the comment and apologise in such a speedy manner in the way she did. i think everything that has come after that, there are huge questions around it. lots has been made of keir starmer and his zero approach, zero tolerance approach to anti semitism, but questions around people like steve reed and barry sherman and the controversies they have had, things they have said then immediately apologised for had not had the whip removed, and i think this calls into question whether or not keir starmer s moves are
letter? it that it was an earlier draft of the letter? , ., ~ , ,., that it was an earlier draft of the letter? , ., ~ , ., letter? it setting and abbott also as a trailblazer. letter? it setting and abbott also as a trailblazer. she letter? it setting and abbott also as a trailblazer. she was - letter? it setting and abbott also as a trailblazer. she was the i letter? it setting and abbott also as a trailblazer. she was the firstj as a trailblazer. she was the first black female mp in this country and she stood up against racism for her community. she received horrendous abuse and what is so deeply upsetting is that, though seemingly it was a blind spot in labour under jeremy corbyn, and that third draft of that letter that i am wrote, she obviously felt that echo chamber she inhabits, it was safe enough to say those things, to think those things, to put them on paper and have them published in a newspaper, and the things that were said was taking thousands of years of oppression.
loyalists and soul diane abbott allies are both a lot has opened the party up again to charges of anti semitism, when that did so much damage to the party underjeremy corbyn. it is interesting that the most senior figure now on the labour left, john mcdonnell, talked of a terrible mistake by diane abbott. allies in the socialist campaign group, the group on the left, hope the labour party will show some understanding of such an iconic figure in the female black mp, who has her self they terrible racial abuse, and interestingly they are putting read an article in the spectator byjohn mcternan, a former adviser to tony blair, who describes the letter is crass and offensive and says, why do we find it so hard to accept an apology? and one dynamic apology linger ally told me, i hope the inquiry takes notice of this article. they must finish