Diane Abbott has confirmed she is banned from standing as a Labor MP in the next election, ending a career spanning almost 40 years as one of the party’s most senior politicians.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington released a media statement on Wednesday morning confirming that after a month-long investigation into her conduct, her Labor whip had been returned to her but she had not been allowed to stand again as a Labor candidate. .

The move leaves Abbott, the first black woman elected to the British Parliament, to decide whether to run as an independent against the party she has represented since 1987 or end her long parliamentary career.

According to Sky and the BBC, Abbott said: “Although the whip has been reinstated, I am banned from standing as a Labor candidate. »

Her comments cap a chaotic 24 hours in which reports suggested she would soon be banned from standing as a Labor candidate and her allies say she was not informed of the decision.

Abbott was suspended from the party last year after writing a letter to the Observer in which he appeared to downplay racism against Jews. She argued that minority groups such as Jews, Gypsies, Roma and Travelers face similar levels of prejudice against people with red hair.

Abbott apologized for her comments, but was investigated and lost the Labor whip.

Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labor Party, said this week that an investigation was underway. But it emerged on Tuesday that the case ended in December and that Abbott was ordered to complete online training on anti-Semitism in February.

Jacqueline McKenzie, a lawyer at Leigh Day and a friend of Abbott, told the BBC on Wednesday: “Diane is really shocked… because the investigation has been going on for 13 months. “I think those around him were quite surprised yesterday to learn that the investigation ended in December.”