Diane Abbott has had the Labour whip restored after an investigation into her conduct, Sky News understands.

The first black woman to be elected to parliament, Ms Abbott was suspended from the party last year after writing a letter in The Guardian suggesting Jewish people do not face racism, and that instead they suffer prejudice similar to “redheads”.

She apologised shortly after it was published, but had remained sitting as an independent MP for more than a year while an investigation was carried out.

Sky News now understands that she had the whip returned to her earlier today, paving the way for the veteran MP to run for the party again in her Hackney North constituency.

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Ms Abbott has been a Labour MP since 1987 when she made the history books by becoming the first black woman to sit on the Commons’ benches.

A stalwart on the left of the party, she is a close ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn and served as his shadow home secretary during his tenure.

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