Labour looking into Abbott's comments about racism

6 minutes ago Share Save Brian Wheeler Political reporter Share Save

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The Labour Party has said it is taking "incredibly seriously" an interview by Diane Abbott in which she stood by comments she made about racism that led to a year-long suspension from the Labour Party. The veteran Labour MP was asked about a letter she sent to the Observer in April 2023 in which she suggested people of colour experienced racism in a different way to Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers. She withdrew her comments at the time and apologised but was suspended from the party and only re-admitted just before last year's general election. Asked by the BBC's James Naughtie if she looked back on the incident with regret, she said: "No, not at all."

She added: "Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know. "You don't know unless you stop to speak to them or you're in a meeting with them. "But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that they're black. They are different types of racism." Asked if she believed she had done anything wrong or had said something in her Observer letter that she did not believe in, she said: "I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. "I just... I don't know why people would say that." A Labour Party spokesperson said: "There is no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party. We take these comments incredibly seriously, and will assess them in line with Labour Party's rules and procedures." In a wide-ranging interview for his Reflections programme, Naughtie asked the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP if she would condemn antisemitic behaviour in the same way she would racist behaviour against someone because of the colour of the skin. She replied: "Well of course, and I do get a bit weary of people trying to pin the antisemitic label on me because I've spent a lifetime fighting racism of all kinds and in particular fighting antisemitism, partly because of the nature of my constituency." The exchanges came as Abbott discussed her life and career in politics, including her own experiences of racism, as Britain's first black woman MP and her years of campaigning with other radical left wingers including Jeremy Corbyn. She entered Parliament in 1987 and is now the Mother of the House, the honorary title given to the longest-serving female MP.

In her 2023 letter to the Observer, Abbott wrote that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people "undoubtedly experience prejudice" that is "similar to racism". She added: "It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism." Abbott was quick to withdraw the remarks, which were heavily criticised by Jewish and Traveller groups, and apologised "for any anguish caused". But she was suspended by the Labour Party pending the outcome of an investigation, with leader Sir Keir Starmer saying her letter "was antisemitic" and should be condemned. Abbott was readmitted to the Labour Party in May 2024, just in time for her stand as a Labour candidate in the general election, even though an internal inquiry into her conduct had concluded four months earlier. The former shadow home secretary was given a "formal warning" for engaging in conduct that was in the opinion of Labour's National Executive Committee "prejudicial and grossly detrimental to the Labour Party". She also completed an online antismetism awareness course. Asked by Naughtie if she had been "hung out to dry" by the Labour leadership, who had continued to say she was subject to a disciplinary process after it had finished, she said: "In the end, Keir Starmer had to restore the whip to me. "I got tremendous support locally. We had a big rally on the steps of Hackney Town Hall. And in the end Keir Starmer and the people around him had to back off because of the support I had from the community." She said she was sure that the Labour leadership had been "trying to get me out" and there were "hints" that she would be offered a seat in the House of Lords if she stepped down as an MP. "I was never going to that. And I'm a Labour MP today, and I'm grateful," she said. Reflections is on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 17 July at 09:30 BST. Listen here on BBC Sounds.

Risky strategy for Trump as he escalates Epstein row with loyal supporters

11 hours ago Share Save Anthony Zurcher • @awzurcher North America correspondent Share Save

Watch: Trump calls out "stupid Republicans" in Jeffrey Epstein files saga

As Donald Trump continues to be dogged by questions about his administration's handling of possible files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he is relying on a tried and true strategy. The problem for the president, however, is that his plan of attack may inadvertently pit him against some of his most loyal supporters. In a lengthy Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, Trump began in a familiar way – by blaming the Epstein controversy on "radical left Democrats". This episode, he said, is just the latest in a long line of "hoaxes" fabricated by his political opponents to bring him down. "These Scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at," he wrote. "They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates." In the past, Trump has used this kind of us-against-them rhetoric to rally his supporters to his side – casting himself as the embattled champion of the outsiders and disaffected who faces off against the privileged and the wealthy. The potential flaw in the president's strategy this time became apparent halfway through his post, however, as he turned to blame his own party and his own supporters for falling for what he said was a leftist scheme. "My PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker," he wrote. "They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will."

Watch: Trump says Pam Bondi should release 'credible' Epstein files

During remarks later in the Oval Office, Trump continued to blame his own side, saying that "some stupid Republicans, some foolish Republicans, have fallen into the net". The president is drawing battle lines on the Epstein issue that divides his own side. It also risks cutting through the foundations on which his political strength is built. Trump's success has been powered by two central messages to his supporters – that he's an outsider who fights against a corrupt establishment and that he tells it like it is. At a time when many voters say they are tired of polished politicians with shifting views, Trump's base sees him as authentic – unvarnished and controversial, yes, but honest. Trump, never one to shy away from wild conspiracy theories or those who embrace them, now finds himself arguing that there is no "credible" evidence implicating the rich and powerful in the Epstein case and that those believing otherwise are suckers or fools. His shifting comments – that the Epstein files should be released, that there are no files, that any possible files are hoaxes – also make him seem less like a straight-shooter and more like a man with something to hide. He's left with the problem of trying to prove a negative. And for the moment, some of his supporters aren't buying it.

In an interview with Politico, conservative firebrand Laura Loomer warned that if Trump did not change course, the Epstein story could "consume" his presidency. Her advice to appoint an independent investigator to handle the case is one Trump would be loath to follow, given how he has railed against past special counsels. But the success of his strategy to blame political opponents may only work if Democrats take the bait. Dan Pfeiffier, who worked as a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, recently wrote they can avoid this trap by amplifying divisions in Trump's "Make America Great Again" ranks. "If the issue becomes too associated with a Democratic effort to hurt Trump, it will polarise the issue along party lines and push the dissatisfied Maga voters back into Trump's camp," he wrote in his most recent newsletter. For the moment, calls for the government to share more information about Epstein is a rare source of consensus among the American public. A YouGov poll indicated that 79% of Americans want the government to release "all documents it has". That included 75% of Republican respondents and 85% of Democrats. An internal Democratic poll obtained by Politico found 58% of respondents believed Trump "maybe was or definitely was" involved in a cover-up. If the polls are decidedly tilted against Trump, Republican officeholders – the men and women who owe their professional livelihoods to staying in the president's good graces – mostly continue to stick by his side. Congressional Republicans are backing the president's legislative agenda despite their narrow majorities in key votes this week. And while some have called for more transparency, conservatives in the House of Representatives have repeatedly squelched Democratic attempts to mandate the release of all remaining Epstein files. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who oversaw those efforts, walked back earlier comments calling for more Epstein files to be disclosed, saying that he was misquoted and that he only wanted the public to see "credible" information – the same language Trump has used. For the moment, the Epstein story is a frustrating distraction for a president used to bending the news cycle, and national attention, to his will. With Republicans in control of Washington, the controversy will only consume his presidency if Trump's own allies allow it to. If the grumbling and disaffection in Trump's faithful persist, however, it could exact a high toll on the Republican party in next year's midterm congressional elections, when voter enthusiasm typically determines which party prevails. And if Democrats wrest control of one or both chambers of Congress - and gain their accompanying investigatory powers - the Epstein files, and Trump's connection to them, could go from a political sideshow to centre-ring spectacle.

UK jobs market weakens as unemployment rate rises

29 minutes ago Share Save Mitchell Labiak and Oliver Smith Business reporters, BBC News Share Save

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The UK jobs market has weakened as wage growth slows and the unemployment rate rises, official statistics show. The annual rate of pay growth in the three months between March and May slowed to 5%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose to 4.7%, its highest in four years, though the ONS has said the figure needs to be treated with caution due to problems with how the data is collected. Economists say a weaker labour market makes it more likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates in an attempt to boost the economy at its meeting next month.

Earlier this week, in an interview with the Times, the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey indicated there could be larger cuts to interest rates if the jobs market showed signs of slowing down. Most economists are predicting a cut - though some say it would be unwise to encourage spending while inflation is still rising. Others have said that April's rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) has discouraged firms from hiring. The ONS data shows the number of people on PAYE payroll has fallen in seven of the eight months since Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the NICs rise. Paul Dales, chief economist at Capital Economics, said this trend "clearly shows businesses are offsetting the rises in their costs by reducing headcounts". The ONS said the number of vacancies fell again to 727,000 for the April to June period, marking three continuous years of falling job openings. It added that survey data suggested that some firms may not be recruiting new workers or replacing ones who have left. The number of job vacancies is now at its lowest in 10 years, excluding the plunge seen during the pandemic when lockdowns stopped firms from hiring.

Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said the "slowing pay growth opens the door for an interest rate cut in August". "The impact of April's tax and administrative changes has led to a marked slowdown in hiring activity among firms," she added. "With domestic activity remaining sluggish, the [Bank of England] will likely want to provide support via looser policy to prevent a more significant deterioration in the labour market."

'We're managing by the skin of our teeth'

Andrew Teebay Peter Kinsella says he is more cautious about hiring staff for his restaurant

60 dead in Iraqi shopping centre fire, officials say

An investigation will look into the cause of the blaze at Corniche Hypermarket in Kut

"A tragedy and a calamity has befallen us," regional governor Mohammed al-Miyahi said, adding that legal action would be brought against the shopping centre's owner.

Social media videos showed firefighters rescuing people from the mall's roof, but reports say many are still missing.

The blaze at the mall, which had reportedly opened five days ago, broke out on Wednesday night and has since been brought under control.

A fire that tore through a shopping centre in the Iraqi city of Kut has left at least 60 dead, officials said.

Videos on INA's news channel show flames ripping through several floors of the Corniche Hypermarket in the city's centre, as firefighters try to douse them.

Other clips circulating on social media appear to show a small number of people on the roof during the fire, as well as the burned out insides of the centre.

A number of people were rescued from the building by firefighters, al-Miyahi told local media.

Ambulances were still taking casualties to hospitals in the city, which is about 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, at 04:00 local time.

"The tragic fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom suffocated in bathrooms, and among them 14 charred bodies yet to be identified," the interior ministry said in a statement quoted by news agency AFP.

Nasir al-Quraishi, a doctor in his 50s, told AFP he lost five family members in the blaze.

"A disaster has befallen us," he said. "We went to the mall to have some food, eat dinner and escape power cuts at home.

"An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted and we couldn't escape it."

A medical source told the agency: "We have more than 50 martyrs, and many unidentified bodies".

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, with preliminary findings expected within two days, al-Miyahi said.

"The tragedy is a major shock," he said, adding that a "serious review of all safety measures" would take place.

The shopping had opened just five days ago, AFP reported.

Body found in search for hiker missing in Italy

Matthew Hall was known to be a confident walker with knowledge of rugged terrain

Italian police told the BBC the body was found at 19:00 local time and members of Mr Hall's family had been informed.

Mr Hall sent a photograph of the cross to friends on the day he went missing, leading to a search of trails in the area.

The discovery was made on Wednesday evening, close to the Cross of Daloo, a mountain viewpoint high above the town of Chiavenna, where the 33-year-old, from Hull, had been staying.

Rescue teams searching for missing British man Matthew Hall in the Italian Alps have found a body.

Mr Hall was staying at the B&B Ploncher hotel when he disappeared on 9 July. He was thought to have been planning an eight-hour trek and had told a friend in a text message he had taken a wrong turn and was having a rest.

Lt Gim Toni De Masi said a body was found in a crevice in the area from where Mr Hall had sent the message.

Due to the danger involved in reaching the body, a helicopter was brought in to assist with the recovery.

Mr Hall's mother arrived in Italy on Wednesday. His father is expected to arrive on Friday, the officer added.

Friends previously travelled to the town to help with the search and raise awareness that he was missing.

Mr Hall began his solo hiking trip on 5 July and was due to have flown back from Milan to Manchester on 12 July. He was known to be a confident walker with knowledge of mountains and rugged terrain.

His family and friends have praised the Italian police, rescue workers and the community in Chiavenna for their help.