Keir Starmer's indecision on Diane Abbott's future overshadowed Labour's campaign kickoff

STORY: One voter asked, "What's wrong with Starmer?" when a Labour candidate gave out leaflets with the party's promises. The voter was not excited about supporting the candidate after he had earlier not supported Ms. Abbott's candidacy. Sir Keir, the Labour leader, had been making big changes in the party and removing supporters of Jeremy Corbyn. But this time, the party went too far by trying to remove a well-known MP, even though some Conservative opponents admired her. This made people question Sir Keir's claim that he had no say in Ms. Abbott's case because it was up to the party's leaders. Left-wing activists were very angry, with one member saying Sir Keir had been lying. The party then allowed Ms. Abbott back in to calm the anger, but later news came out that she was being barred as a candidate. Angela Rayner criticized the party's actions, saying there was no reason for Ms. Abbott to run. The situation caused problems for the party's election campaign, with activists feeling demotivated. The party had faced disagreements from left-wing members over suspending Ms. Abbott for over a year due to an anti-Semitism issue. A petition with 15,000 signatures was given to Sir Keir, urging him to resolve the situation. Sir Keir later changed his mind and supported Ms. Abbott's candidacy, hoping to move past the issue. EXPLANATION: The story talks about a voter questioning Sir Keir's actions in the Labour party and the controversy surrounding Ms. Abbott's candidacy. Sir Keir had been making changes in the party, but the attempt to remove Ms. Abbott caused backlash. Left-wing activists were upset, and the party's handling of the situation affected the election campaign. The party faced criticism for suspending Ms. Abbott, leading to a petition for her reinstatement. Sir Keir eventually supported Ms. Abbott's candidacy to resolve the issue.