A row over whether veteran MP Diane Abbott will be allowed to stand for Labour in the General Election is threatening to overshadow Sir Keir Starmer's pitch to voters on the NHS.Labour is setting its sights on tackling NHS backlogs, with leader Sir Keir detailing first steps to clear waits of more than 18 weeks within five years of taking office.But in the latest sign of his willingness to pick a fight with the party left, Ms Abbott claimed she has been banned from standing for the party in her

A row over whether veteran MP Diane Abbott will be allowed to stand for Labour in the General Election is threatening to overshadow Sir Keir Starmer's pitch to voters on the NHS.Labour is setting its sights on tackling NHS backlogs, with leader Sir Keir detailing first steps to clear waits of more than 18 weeks within five years of taking office.But in the latest sign of his willingness to pick a fight with the party left, Ms Abbott claimed she has been banned from standing for the party in her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat.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 whip was restored on Tuesday, but Ms Abbott has claimed she has been barred from standing on July 4.