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<\/picture><\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nComments made by former shadow minister Diane Abbott in a letter were antisemitic, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Ms Abbott was suspended as a Labour MP after suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people were not subject to racism “all their lives”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n She later apologised and withdrew the remarks, written in a letter to the Observer newspaper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sir Keir condemned the letter and said he acted swiftly to suspend Ms Abbott.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sir Keir said that the swiftness with which the MP had had the whip removed demonstrated “how far the Labour party has changed” and that Labour has “zero tolerance” of antisemitism. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When pressed repeatedly on whether Ms Abbott’s comments showed prejudice towards Jewish people, Sir Keir said: “In my view, what she said was to be condemned, it was antisemitic.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But Sir Keir would not be drawn on whether Ms Abbott should be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate in the next election, saying “there’s an investigation going on”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On Sunday, Labour said the chief whip – who is responsible for party management of MPs – had suspended Ms Abbott pending an investigation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Suspending the whip means Ms Abbott will not be allowed to represent Labour in the House of Commons, where she will now sit as an independent MP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Earlier Pat McFadden, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said “it will be for the chief whip and the leader to decide what happens next”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire told the BBC’s Politics Live programme she found it “hard to see” Ms Abbott returning as a Labour MP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n