Why is Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused of a left-wing purge?

Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott has hit the headlines after she appeared to believe she had been barred from standing in the General Election.

While this has been refuted by Sir Keir Starmer, the episode is a reminder of tensions in the Labour Party over the treatment of left-leaning MPs and officials.

Here the PA news agency revisits the causes of internal concerns, summarises how Sir Keir has moved the party back towards the centre ground, and details why the issue of antisemitism is tied up with accusations of a left-wing purge.

– What were the early signs of Sir Keir’s position on Labour’s left?

Conservative MPs are keen to focus on Sir Keir’s previous backing for left-wing policies as a member of Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.

However, there were signs in his early parliamentary career that this was not his natural political position.

Sir Keir was first elected as MP at the 2015 general election which saw the Conservatives under David Cameron win power with a 10-seat majority.

The subsequent resignation of Ed Miliband as Labour leader was a pivotal moment for the party as Mr Corbyn’s election as his successor marked a significant shift to the left.

Despite his later association with Mr Corbyn, Sir Keir had backed the more moderate runner-up Andy Burnham, now mayor of Greater Manchester, in the leadership contest.

– Did becoming a shadow minister under Mr Corbyn shift his position?

Mr Corbyn later appointed Sir Keir as shadow minister for immigration, but he soon demonstrated a willingness to challenge the Labour leader.

Following the Brexit referendum in June 2016, Sir Keir was among the 18 shadow ministers and 21 members of the Labour frontbench who resigned as Mr Corbyn faced criticism for what was seen as a lack of enthusiasm for campaigning to remain in the European Union.

In his resignation letter, Sir Keir said it was “simply untenable now to suggest we can offer an effective opposition without a change in leader”.

– What changed when he joined Labour’s shadow cabinet? 

Despite his previous sharp criticism, Mr Corbyn appointed Sir Keir as shadow Brexit secretary after winning the 2016 leadership contest prompted by the mass resignations.

This is the period that Conservative MPs focus on when they highlight Sir Keir’s support for a Corbyn-led government, which was later widely rejected by the electorate at the 2019 general election in favour of Boris Johnson’s Tories.

Sir Keir is likely to have seen his role as an advocate for moderation during this time, but also as an enthusiastic advocate for a softer Brexit amid turmoil on the Tory benches.

Labour had suffered fourth consecutive general election defeat with its worst showing since 1935, signally an inauspicious end to the Corbyn era.

Sir Keir was then elected Labour leader, but his early tenure was marked by the Covid-19 pandemic – circumstances which were not conducive with making significant progress on shifting the party’s direction.

– How did Sir Keir begin to change Labour’s approach?

Sir Keir used his first in-person speech as Labour leader in 2021 to begin lay out a more centrist vision for Labour, one which was clearly distinct from the party’s traditional socialist direction under Mr Corbyn.

He took the opportunity to focus on issues which were seen as Tory strengths: a focus on boosting the economy and a tougher stance on crime.

As the Labour realignment continued, policies supported by the left of the party and advocated by Sir Keir during his leadership bid began to be put aside as  pragmatism took precedent.

These included the nationalisation of utilities, free movement within the European Union and ending student tuition fees, with the Labour leader arguing these policies had to be “adapted” due to the impact of the  pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Liz Truss’s mini-budget in 2022.

– Sir Keir dogged by allegations of a left-wing purge

Throughout his time as leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir has faced accusations of purging Labour’s left.

Last year, left-wing figures complained they were being blocked from key positions in the party, amid claims aspiring MPs with similar views were being excluded from an approved list of parliamentary candidates.

Sir Keir also faced pressure when left-leaning Jamie Driscoll was blocked from running as a Labour candidate in the North East’s inaugural mayoral election in May.

Ministers defended the decision, highlighting Mr Driscoll’s decision to share a panel with filmmaker Ken Loach, who was expelled from the party due to his membership of Labour Against the Witch hunt – an organisation campaigning against what it perceived to be politically motivated allegations of antisemitism.

– Why is antisemitism linked with claims of a left-wing purge?

A leaked internal report in April 2020 had laid bare tensions between Labour factions.

Completed in the last months of Mr Corbyn’s leadership, the assessment of the party’s handling of antisemitism described “abnormal intensity” of internal opposition to his approach.

A report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission into antisemitism in the Labour Party during Mr Corbyn’s leadership later found the party was responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination.

The contrast in the findings of the two reports appeared to shape the dynamic of internal tensions and sensitivities that persist to this day.

Despite describing antisemitism as “abhorrent” at the time, Mr Corbyn said the issue had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons” by his opponents inside and outside the party.

Almost immediately after the statement was released, Sir Keir held a press conference during which he said anyone who believed the problems were “exaggerated” were “part of the problem… and should be nowhere near the Labour Party”.

– How did Mr Corbyn respond?

Hours later, Mr Corbyn appeared on television to defend his comments, but Labour moved quickly to suspend him pending an investigation.

Senior Labour MPs, including those associated with the “New Labour” under Tony Blair welcomed the suspension, while left-wing activists including pro-Corbyn organisation Momentum strongly opposed it.

In November 2020, a panel comprising members of the Labour’s NEC agreed to readmit Mr Corbyn to the Labour Party, but Sir Keir denied him a place in the parliamentary party by refusing to restore the whip.

– Why is Mr Corbyn not standing as a Labour candidate in the general election?

Mr Corbyn was later reportedly encouraged to apologise for his comments by Labour’s then-chief whip Nick Brown, but did not accept the offer.

At the time, Sir Keir said it was Mr Corbyn’s “choice” not to “move this forward”.

In March 2023, Labour’s NEC decided not to endorse Mr Corbyn in the next election, meaning his was prevented from standing as a Labour candidate.

Mr Corbyn is launching his own campaign against his former party in Islington North later on Wednesday.

– What does Ms Abbott’s situation tell us about Labour’s tensions and direction?

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.

The drawn-out process involving the former shadow home secretary under Mr Corbyn has been seized upon by some as further evidence that left-wing figures are not welcome in the party.

This shows that the internal scars left by claims of antisemitism within the party have yet to heal, at a time when Sir Keir is promising the country that Labour has changed.

Ms Abbott  had the whip restored on Tuesday, but she appeared to believe she had been barred from standing in Hackney North and Stoke Newington on July 4.

However, Sir Keir said she has not been barred from standing in the General Election, adding no decision had been taken on whether she would be allowed to defend her seat.

Labour’s perceived shift to the right and lingering tensions left over from the Corbyn-era have been seen by some as a risk at the election, with concerns traditional supporters and other progressives will abandon the party.

The party’s leadership will be keen to move on quickly from this latest episode, while Tory MPs are sure to highlight evidence of Labour instability and struggles in the past.