Starmer brushes off questions about Diane Abbott

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer brushed off questions about Diane Abbott as Labour’s battle bus departed west London with Angela Rayner aboard. Asked what had changed when he said on Friday the veteran left-winger could stand as a Labour candidate in the General Election after having the party whip restored after more than a year, he told broadcasters in Uxbridge: “I dealt with that issue yesterday. “Today is about taking our argument to the country and getting people back to work.”