Diane Abbott is "free" to stand for Labour at the general election, Sir Keir Starmer said after growing tensions in the party over her political future. The Labour leader told reporters on Friday: "The whip has obviously been restored to her now and she is free to go forward as a Labour candidate." General election latest: Starmer sets out energy plam He went onto praise the veteran MP as a "trailblazer", saying: "Diane Abbott was elected in 1987, the first black woman MP. "She has carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life." Ms Abbott...