Overview

• Figures on Labour’s National Executive Committee have begun informal talks with potential candidates, including Sem Moema and Hackney councillor Mete Coban.
• Labour has insisted no formal discussions or proposals have occurred while the internal investigation into Abbott’s July suspension remains open.
• Party rules prevent a suspended MP from standing as a Labour candidate until their disciplinary case is resolved and empower the NEC to trigger a selection if an MP is not endorsed for re-election.
• Labour sources say Abbott is unlikely to have the whip restored and is expected to step down at the next election, prompting pre-emptive succession planning.
• The informal outreach has alarmed some grassroots members who warn it risks sidelining the investigation’s outcome and deepening rifts within the party.