Environment secretary pledges 'water revolution' with plans to cut pollution by 2030

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Labour MP Diane Abbott, the longest-serving female MP in Parliament, has also been suspended from the party this week over comments she made about racism.

Labour has launched an investigation into Abbott’s defence of a 2023 letter to a newspaper, , externalin which she said people of colour experienced racism “all their lives”, which was different from the “prejudice” experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers.

She apologised for those remarks at the time following criticism from Jewish and Traveller groups and was readmitted to the party after a one-year suspension.

Asked by the BBC’s James Naughtie if she looked back on the whole incident with regret, she said: “No, not at all.”

In a brief statement issued to BBC Newsnight, Abbott said: “My comments in the interview with James Naughtie were factually correct, as any fair-minded person would accept.”