Labour restores whip to MP Andy McDonald after inquiry into ‘river to sea’ comment | Politics Information

Labour has restored the whip to an MP it suspended over feedback he made at a pro-Palestinian rally in October.

Andy McDonald was suspended for remarks the celebration known as “deeply offensive”.

However the Middlesbrough MP will now once more be capable to sit as a Labour MP within the Commons, relatively than as an unbiased.

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It comes as calls develop amongst Diane Abbott supporters for her to obtain the whip again after she was denied the possibility to talk within the Commons about feedback a Tory donor reportedly made about her.

A Labour spokesperson mentioned the whip had been restored to Mr McDonald after its investigation discovered “he had not engaged in conduct that was in opposition to the celebration’s rulebook”.

Nonetheless, it mentioned he had been “reminded” concerning the “significance of elected representatives being aware, not solely of what they are saying in public, however how their phrases could also be interpreted, particularly in reference to controversial or emotive points”.

Mr McDonald mentioned it was “by no means my intention” to make use of language that will trigger misery and that he “bitterly remorse(s)” the “ache and damage precipitated”.

“Accordingly, I cannot use that phrasing once more,” his assertion mentioned.

“I’ll proceed to denounce the abominations of antisemitism and Islamophobia wherever they elevate their ugly heads. These are key the reason why I joined the Labour Occasion 45 years in the past,” he added.

Mr McDonald was suspended after attending a pro-Palestinian rally final yr at which he mentioned: “We cannot relaxation till we’ve got justice.

“Till all individuals, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the ocean, can dwell in peaceable liberty.”

He went on to shout “free Palestine”.

Downing Avenue mentioned on the time it was “not acceptable” to make use of the phrase “from the river to the ocean” – which refers back to the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea – as a result of it was “deeply offensive” to many.

Many professional-Israel supporters see it as a name for the eradication of the Israeli state, though pro-Palestinian campaigners contest this.

Mr McDonald had been amongst a lot of Labour MPs and candidates solid out as a result of feedback concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict.

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Kate Osamor, MP for Edmonton, had the whip withdrawn in January after she appeared to say the conflict needs to be remembered as genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day. She later apologised.

Labour additionally dropped Rochdale by-election candidate, Azhar Ali, after he allegedly advised Israel intentionally allowed the Hamas assault to provide it the “inexperienced gentle” to invade Gaza, in addition to blaming “individuals within the media from sure Jewish quarters” for Mr McDonald’s suspension.

On Wednesday, Ms Abbott reposted a declare on X that she had requested Sir Keir Starmer for the whip to be restored in a dialog after PMQs.

The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP was suspended after suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller individuals didn’t face racism – one thing she later apologised for.