Britain’s first black female MP, Diane Abbott, said today that she has been banned from standing as a Labor Party candidate in the July 4 general election.

It is recalled that her membership in the party was suspended more than a year ago for comments she had made about Jews and racism.

Abbott, who had first elected to parliament in 1987 with the Labor Party, she was a close ally of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn and belonged to the left wing of the party.

Abbott’s membership of the party was suspended last year after the MP sent a letter to the Observer newspaper in which he wrote that the prejudice faced by the Jewish people was similar to, but not identical to, racism.

“They undoubtedly faced prejudice. This is akin to racism and the two words are often used interchangeably,” he wrote in the letter.

“It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, may experience this prejudice.”

“Yet they are not faced with racism throughout their lives.”

Abbott apologized “unreservedly” after the letter was published, but her membership of the party was suspended. Today she told the BBC that she had rejoined the party, but “I’m not allowed to be a Labor candidate”.