British Party Suspends MP for Controversial Remarks

The British opposition Labour Party has suspended MP Diane Abbott due to her statement in a letter where she said, "The prejudice faced by Jews resembles racism." Abbott's comments were in response to a writer's claim that Irish, Jewish, and Roma people have suffered from racism, stating, "Their experiences were similar to racism, but there are differences." She added, "They have undoubtedly suffered prejudice. This is similar to racism and the two terms are often used as if they are synonymous." In her letter to the Observer, she mentioned, "In pre-civil rights America, Irish and Jewish people and Roma were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. At the height of slavery, there appeared to be no whites on slave ships." She later apologized and retracted her comments.