Keir Starmer has dodged questions about Diane Abbott as he launched Labour’s election battle bus.
The event was the first time Sir Keir had appeared in public with his deputy Angela Rayner after Labour said the party veteran was free to contest her seat.
The dramatic U-turn came after Ms Rayner said the trailblazer, the UK’s first black MP, should be allowed to stand – in a break with her party leader.
At the launch in London, Sir Keir repeatedly claimed “I dealt with this yesterday” as he tried to brush off questions.
Asked what had changed when he said on Friday that the veteran left-winger could stand as a Labour candidate, he said: “I dealt with that issue yesterday.
“Today is about taking our argument to the country and getting people back to work.”
Asked about concerns among black voters, Sir Keir said: “Let me give my message to voters, because I think this is very, very important, which is if you want change, the power’s with you… you have to vote for change.”
Earlier one of his allies Liz Kendall, the shadow work and pensions secretary, denied he was forced into an about-turn by Ms Rayner.
Asked whether he had been “bounced into a decision” by Ms Rayner, Ms Kendall told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I completely reject that”.
“It’s really important that the Labour party sets the highest possible standards for every single candidate,” she said. “There’s been a process, we’ve gone through that. She’s free to stand.”
The announcement followed days of pressure from within his party about whether or not Ms Abbott would be blocked from standing.
Ms Abbott was suspended from Labour last year after she suggested Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism, sparking a long-running process which saw her sit as an independent MP.
She had the Labour whip restored earlier this week, but it was briefed out that she might be “barred” from running for the party in the General Election.
On Thursday Ms Rayner said there was “no reason” to prevent the former shadow home secretary standing.
But Rishi Sunak said it was “clear” she was in charge. The prime minister claimed the row “confirms what we know” about the Labour leader.
“It’s that he doesn’t stick by anything he says. Just constantly changes his mind. And it’s clear that Angela Rayner is in charge of the Labour party, and not him at the end of the day.”
