No purge of the Left, claims Labour as Abbott row deepens

LABOUR today denied it was pursuing a "cull" of Left-wingers as party leaders raced to select a full slate of candidates for July's general election.

- Jitendra Joshi and Rachael Burford

As rows deepened over the fate of Diane Abbott and other figures from the Left, allies of Sir Keir Starmer denied loyalists were being installed in winnable constituencies over the objections of local activists.

Told that a purge appeared to be under way, opposition frontbencher Darren Jones said: "I don't think that's true. I mean, there are many colleagues of mine in the Parliamentary Labour Party who would define themselves as being on the Left who are endorsed Labour Party candidates standing in their con-

stituency." Speaking to Times Radio this morning, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury insisted Labour's national executive committee would follow

established procedures on Ms Abbott, after the veteran MP complained of being barred from standing again in Hackney North and Stoke Newington

despite her reinstatement to the parliamentary whip after a long investigation into alleged antisemitism.