The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer has said that there is no place for racism in any form in the Labour party following colleague Diane Abbott’s controversial remarks.

Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West, told KentOnline during a visit to Gravesend town centre earlier today that the party’s chief whip made the right decision to suspend the former shadow minister.

Speculation surrounds the future of longstanding Labour MP Ms Abbott, after she apologised for remarks in which she suggested Irish, Jewish and GRT people do not face racism but instead face prejudice similar to "redheads".

Ms Abbott has since apologised and withdrawn her comments made in a letter to the Observer newspaper.

Speaking this afternoon, Ms Reeves said: “There is no place for any form of racism in the Labour party and for Diane Abbott to suggest there is some sort of hierarchy of racism, that Jewish people cannot experience racism, it is grotesque and it is wrong what she said.

“I am pleased by the fact that in just a matter of hours yesterday after that letter came out that she had the whip withdrawn and that is absolutely right that that happened.”

Ms Reeves was joined by Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in Gravesend town centre today to speak with businesses about Labour’s plan to make high streets “safe and successful” again.

The strategy outlines proposals to cut business rates, cut energy bills, stamp out late payments to make sure more money gets to the firms, revamp empty shops and tackle anti-social behaviour by recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers.

Owner of Marie’s Tea Room, in the High Street, Graham Broadbent, said the hike in energy bills hit business owners twice as they not only have to pay their own bills at home but the firm’s too.

Mat Stevens, owner of the Invitca Bar in Windmill Street, agreed and added the cost of beer has risen twice already this year but he cannot expect his customers to pay for it.

Ms Reeves said: “There are real challenges around the cost of doing business at the moment and the impact the cost of living crisis is having on their customers.

“Business owners have told me of energy bill increases of four or five fold in just a matter of months and again are saying it is impossible to pass all that onto their customers because at home their customers are also paying higher gas and electricity bills which means they have less money in their pockets to come out on the High Street in Gravesend.

“Business rates disproportionately effect the high street and smaller businesses while some of the big businesses are not paying their fair share of tax because they either do not have a high street presence or they have got out of town into centres that incur lower business rates.

She added: “We want to level that playing field so if you are selling on a high street you are not disproportionately penalised for doing so when we want high streets to thrive and we need high streets to thrive.”

When asked how the party would “ease the burden on small businesses” she explained this will be done by using a digital services tax and to help those incurring higher electric bills and by extending the windfall tax on energy companies.

“The point Yvette and I are making, is it is not just about the bills for businesses and the money people have of in their pockets,” Ms Reeves said. “People have got to feel safe on their high streets.

“That is why part of our plan is being tough on crime and anti-social behaviour and having a more visible presence of the police in Gravesend and in other high streets and town centres.

“One business owner said to me today he could not remember the last time he saw a police officer on the high street. If you do not see a police officer and those perpetrating anti-social behaviour are not seeing the police, they think they can get away with it and that is not good enough.”

Yvette Cooper, who served in ex Prime Minister Gordon Brown's cabinet as chief secretary to the Treasury from 2008 to 2009 said there were “real problems” with crime and anti-social behaviour affecting all town centres.

“The police are just not on the beat, people do not see the police in town centres anymore, in their local neighbourhoods,” she said. “We have got to get those police numbers back.

“If you get the neighbourhood police back they can work with the community and local councils on that prevention work, particularly with young people, preventing crime and anti-social behaviour in the first place but also when it happens be prepared to crack down.

“We would have new respect orders brought in, we should have stronger powers to ban people from town centres if there is repeated anti-social behaviour or repeated problems with crime or shop lifting and they are ignoring the warnings from the police and the courts.

“You have got to be prepared to take strong action to support local business and our town centres so everyone feels safe.”

Despite this, Kent police and crime commissioner, Matthew Scott said: “We have better performance than that locally and we have higher rates of shoplifting resulting in a positive outcome but I acknowledge there is more to do.”

He added the force is putting more police officers out on the streets to help tackle problem behaviour and encouraged people to continue to report incidents.

Speaking after the meetings, Graham Broadbent, whose tea rooms have been targeted by anti-social behabiour previously, said: “I liked what the MPs said about more police presence so people feel more comfortable around the town so that is great.

“The other aspect of trying to plan long-term sounds fantastic but it is just making sure it is followed through.”

Local elections are being held across the country on May 4, 2023.