BREAKING: As the Morning Star went to print, the Times claimed to have exclusive information that Diane Abbott will be barred from standing as a Labour candidate at the general election for the seat she has represented for 37 years.

SIR KEIR STARMER has been concealing the truth over Diane Abbott’s exclusion from Labour in Parliament, it was revealed today.

BBC Newsnight reported that the party probe into Ms Abbott’s offence — a brief newspaper letter for which she immediately apologised — finished last December.

She has since remained without the Labour whip entirely at the discretion of chief whip Alan Campbell, who is appointed by and answers to the Labour leader.

Yet Sir Keir has repeatedly claimed that the decision on Ms Abbott’s future — she cannot stand in the general election for Labour without the matter being resolved — was nothing to do with him.

This has now been exposed as a falsehood. The fact that Britain’s first black woman MP has remained suspended to the point where her career may be terminated has been a decision of the Labour leadership.

Ms Abbott has long ridiculed Sir Keir’s hands-off pretence, tweeting last week that the situation was “everything to do with him.”

Campaign group Momentum said today: “This is outrageous news which confirms that the Starmer leadership is trying to force Britain's first black woman MP out of Parliament.

“For months we have been told by Keir Starmer that the process is independent and it’s nothing to do with him.

“Today’s revelation confirms this is another brazen lie from Keir Starmer.

“The first step to making amends is to restore the whip and let Diane run as the Labour candidate, as local members wish.”

Independent socialist MP Claudia Webbe said the fiasco showed that “Labour is no longer a party for due process, fairness or justice.

“Its treatment of Diane Abbott is racism to the core; they should hang their head in shame.”

And left commentator Owen Jones said: “Keir Starmer has repeatedly told the public that the investigation into Diane Abbott is ongoing, so he can’t get involved. That turns out to be yet another lie. 

“Meanwhile his allies have been protected for behaviour ranging from racism to sexual harassment.”

At the same time, many safe Labour seats look like being filled with Starmerite rightwingers after last-minute retirements by MPs ranging from veteran trade union fixer John Spellar to parliamentary party chairman John Cryer.

Among those believed to be lined up for imposition on local parties whether they like it or not are hard-right factionalist Luke Akehurst, Camden Council leader Georgia Gould and Labour Together director Josh Simons.

Mr Simons will presumably not be preferred for a seat in Scotland since he offended Scots this year by urging that people-smuggling gangs be deported by barge to their country.