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Diane Abbott

Diane Julie Abbott (born 27 September 1953) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987. A member of the Labour Party, she served in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Home Secretary from 2016 to 2020. Abbott was the first black woman elected to Parliament, and is the longest-serving black MP in the House of Commons.

Diane Abbott
Official portrait, 2017
Shadow Home Secretary
In office
6 October 2016 – 5 April 2020[a]
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byAndy Burnham
Succeeded byNick Thomas-Symonds
Shadow Secretary of State for Health
In office
27 June 2016 – 6 October 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byHeidi Alexander
Succeeded byJonathan Ashworth
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
In office
13 September 2015 – 27 June 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byMary Creagh
Succeeded byKate Osamor
Shadow Minister for Public Health
In office
9 October 2010 – 8 October 2013
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byAnne Milton
Succeeded byLuciana Berger
Member of Parliament
for Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Assumed office
11 June 1987
Preceded byErnie Roberts
Majority33,188 (58.4%)
Personal details
Born
Diane Julie Abbott

(1953-09-27) 27 September 1953 (age 69)
London, England
Political partyLabour
Other political
affiliations
Socialist Campaign Group
Spouse
David Ayensu-Thompson
(m. 1991; div. 1993)
Children1
EducationHarrow County School for Girls
Alma materNewnham College, Cambridge
WebsiteOfficial website

Born in Paddington, to a British-Jamaican family, Abbott attended Harrow County School for Girls before going to read History at Newnham College, Cambridge. After joining and leaving the Civil Service, she worked as a reporter for Thames Television and TV-am before becoming a press officer for the Greater London Council. Joining the Labour Party, she was elected to Westminster City Council in 1982 and then as an MP in 1987, being returned in every general election since.

She was a member of the Labour Party Black Sections. Critical of Tony Blair's New Labour project that pushed the party towards the centre during the 1990s, in the House of Commons Abbott voted against several Blairite policies, including the Iraq War and the Identity Cards Act 2006. She stood for the Labour Party leadership on a left-wing platform in 2010, losing heavily to Ed Miliband, who appointed her Shadow Minister for Health in the Official Opposition frontbench.

A supporter of Jeremy Corbyn's bid to become Labour Leader in 2015, Abbott became Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, then Shadow Health Secretary, and eventually Shadow Home Secretary. As a key Corbyn ally, she supported his leftward push of the Labour Party. She unsuccessfully attempted to be chosen as the Labour candidate for the 2016 London mayoral election, and backed the unsuccessful Britain Stronger in Europe campaign to retain UK membership of the European Union. After the 2019 general election, Abbott was removed from the Shadow Cabinet under Keir Starmer. She remains in the House of Commons, but as a backbencher.

Early life and career

Abbott was born to Jamaican parents in Paddington, London, on 27 September 1953. Her father worked as a welder and her mother as a nurse.[2][3] Both of her parents left school at the age of 14.[4] She attended Harrow County School for Girls (a grammar school) and then Newnham College, Cambridge, where she read history, achieving a lower second-class degree (2:2).[5][6] At Cambridge, she was supervised by Sir Simon Schama.[7]

After university, Abbott became an administration trainee (a fast-track route to senior positions in HM Civil Service)[8] at the Home Office (1976 to 1978), and then a Race Relations Officer at the National Council for Civil Liberties (1978 to 1980).[9] She was a researcher and reporter at Thames Television from 1980 to 1983, and then a researcher at the breakfast television company TV-am from 1983 to 1985.[10] She was a press officer at the Greater London Council under Ken Livingstone from 1985 to 1986, and Head of Press and Public Relations at Lambeth Council from 1986 to 1987.[9]

Political career

Abbott's career in politics began in 1982 when she was elected to Westminster City Council, serving until 1986. In 1983, she was active in the Labour Party Black Sections movement, alongside Bernie Grant, Paul Boateng and Keith Vaz, campaigning for greater African Caribbean and Asian political representation.[10][11] In 1985, she unsuccessfully fought to be selected in Brent East, losing out to Ken Livingstone.[12] In 1987, Abbott was elected to the House of Commons, replacing the deselected serving Labour MP Ernie Roberts as MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington. She was the first black woman to become an MP.[13]

Abbott's speech on civil liberties, in the debate on the Counter-Terrorism Bill 2008,[14] won The Spectator magazine's "Parliamentary Speech of the Year" award,[15] and further recognition at the 2008 Human Rights awards.[16] A speech by Abbott in a House of Commons debate on the Caribbean is included in Margaret Busby's 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa.[17][18]

Abbott has served on a number of parliamentary committees on social and international issues and held shadow ministerial positions in successive Shadow Cabinets. For most of the 1990s, she also served on the Treasury Select Committee of the House of Commons.[19] She went on to serve on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.[19] She gave birth to her son in October 1991, one year before the House of Commons introduced a crèche.[20]

Abbott chairs the All-Party Parliamentary British-Caribbean Group and the All-Party Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Group.[19] She is the founder of the London Schools and the Black Child initiative, which aims to raise educational achievement levels amongst black children.[21]

In May 2010, Abbott was returned as MP for the constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington, with a doubled majority on an increased turn-out.[22] She was again re-elected in 2015 with 62% of the vote.[23]

At Goldsmiths' College, on 26 October 2012, a jubilee celebration was held to honour Abbott's 25 years in Parliament, with a series of contributions by Linton Kwesi Johnson, Kadija Sesay, Tunday Akintan and others.[24][25]

2010 leadership election and frontbench role

 
Abbott speaking at the New Statesman hustings for the 2010 Labour Party leadership election

On 20 May 2010, Abbott announced her intention to stand in the Labour leadership contest. She secured the necessary 33 nominations by 9 June, assisted by the withdrawal of John McDonnell and support from David Miliband and Jack Straw, among others.[26][27] On Saturday, 25 September 2010, Ed Miliband was announced as the new leader of the Labour Party, Abbott having been eliminated in the first round of voting after securing 7.24% of votes.[28]

Abbott was later appointed Shadow Minister for Public Health by Ed Miliband, taking shadow responsibility for a range of issues including children's health, maternity services, sexual health, tobacco, nursing, obesity and alcohol abuse.[29] Following her move onto the front bench, the Telegraph said on 27 September 2011 that Abbott had "become one of Labour's best front bench performers".[30]

On the issue of abortion, Abbott has become a vocal "pro-choice" supporter, opposing moves towards changing abortion counselling policy, and reducing the abortion time limit. She resigned from a cross-party group on abortion counselling saying it was no more than a front to push forward an anti-abortion agenda without debate in parliament.[31]

In 2011, she voted in favour of military intervention in Libya.[32]

On 5 February 2013, following the Second Reading, Abbott voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.[33]

Removal from the frontbench and 2015 London mayoral election

On 8 October 2013, Abbott was sacked as Shadow Public Health Minister in a reshuffle by Labour leader Ed Miliband,[34] and replaced by Luciana Berger.[35] On 23 June 2014, Abbott had stated she would consider standing in the 2016 London mayoral election as Mayor of London.[36] On 30 November 2014, Abbott announced her intention to put herself forward to become Labour's candidate at the London mayoral elections in 2016.[37] She was unsuccessful in her bid for Labour's 2015 London mayoral election nomination.

She was one of 16 signatories of an open letter to Ed Miliband in January 2015 calling on the party to commit to oppose further austerity, take rail franchises back into public ownership and strengthen collective bargaining arrangements.[38]

Return to the frontbench

A close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, Abbott was one of 36 Labour MPs to nominate him as a candidate in the Labour leadership election of 2015.[39] Following Corbyn's election as Labour leader, Abbott was appointed to the post of Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.[40]

On 27 June 2016, after the resignations of many of Labour's ministerial team in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, Abbott was promoted to the position of Shadow Health Secretary.[41]

On 6 October 2016, following the resignation of Andy Burnham, Abbott was appointed Shadow Home Secretary. She was sworn of the Privy Council on 15 February 2017.[42]

2017 general election

 
Abbott at a Jeremy Corbyn leadership rally in August 2016

On 2 May 2017, during that year's general election campaign, Labour's pledge to recruit an extra 10,000 police officers was overshadowed by Abbott's inability to give accurate funding figures. In an interview on LBC Radio with Nick Ferrari, she repeatedly struggled to explain how the promise would be funded. In the interview, Abbott frequently paused, shuffled her papers and gave out the wrong figures.[43] When asked about her performance, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, insisted he was not embarrassed by what many pundits called a "car crash" interview.[44]

In a further interview conducted by ITV on 5 May 2017, as the 2017 local elections results were being announced, Abbott was again unable to give accurate figures on the Labour Party's performance suggesting that the party had a net loss of 50 seats. However, her figure was corrected by the interviewer who stated that Labour had in fact lost 125 seats, at which point Abbott said that the last figures she had seen were a net loss of around 100.[45]

Appearing on Andrew Marr's Sunday morning programme for the BBC on 28 May, Abbott's apparent support for the IRA nearly 35 years ago came up, along with some parliamentary votes Marr thought questionable. These included her advocacy of the abolition of "conspiratorial groups" such as MI5 and Special Branch in the late 1980s, both of which she said had been successfully reformed. She defended a vote opposing the proscription of a list of groups, including al-Qaida, on the basis that some of the others had the status of dissidents in their country of origin and Abbott would have voted to ban al-Qaida in isolation.[46] According to Sam Coates in The Times, this appearance was arranged without the consent of Labour's campaign team.[47]

 
Abbott at a rally in Trafalgar Square in 2016

On 5 June 2017, during a Sky News interview, Abbott was unable to answer questions about the Harris report on how to protect London from terror attacks. She insisted that she had read the report, but was unable to recall any of the 127 recommendations. When asked if she could remember the specific recommendations, Abbott said: "I think it was an important review and we should act on it."[48][49] Abbott also denied reports that Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell were attempting to stop her from making broadcasts.[47][50] The next day, Abbott withdrew at the last minute – citing illness – from a joint interview on Woman's Hour on 6 June, in which she had been due to face her Conservative frontbench opposite number Amber Rudd.[51] On 7 June, Corbyn announced that Abbott was "not well" and had stepped aside in her role as Shadow Home Secretary. Lyn Brown was temporarily assigned to replace her.[52] Barry Gardiner said in a radio interview on LBC that Abbott had been diagnosed with having a "long-term" medical condition, and was "coming to terms with that".[52]

In spite of these controversies, Abbott was re-elected in her seat of Hackney North and Stoke Newington, receiving 75% of the constituency's votes with an increased majority of over 35,000.[53] The following week it became known that Abbott had been diagnosed as suffering from type 2 diabetes in 2015.[54][55] "During the election campaign, everything went crazy – and the diabetes was out of control, the blood sugar was out of control", she told The Guardian.[54] Dealing with six or seven interviews in a row became problematic because she was not eating enough food, which forced a break upon her; however, the condition is back under control.[54] Abbott returned to the role of Shadow Home Secretary on 18 June.[56]

Since 2017

On 2 October 2019, Abbott became the first black MP at the dispatch box at Prime Minister's Questions.[57] She served as a temporary stand-in for the Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, while First Secretary of State Dominic Raab stood in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[58]

Abbott was a supporter of Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, and defended him from bullying allegations made by David Leakey.[59] She was re-elected at the snap 2019 general election.

On 23 February 2020, Abbott said she would be standing down as Shadow Home Secretary and leaving the frontbench[60] upon the election of a new Labour leader. She stood down on 5 April and was succeeded by Nick Thomas-Symonds.[61]

In April 2020, she was appointed to the Home Affairs Select Committee.[62]

In May 2021, she wrote in a Guardian article that if Labour was to lose the Batley and Spen by-election, Starmer should resign as Labour leader.[63] She described the local elections as disappointing for Labour. Abbott criticised the shadow cabinet reshuffle later carried out by Keir Starmer. She told Sophy Ridge on Sky News that his demotion of Angela Rayner was "baffling".[64] After the 2022 local elections, Abbott said that Keir Starmer should resign if he is fined by Durham Constabulary over Beergate.[65]

Media work

Until her appointment as a shadow minister in October 2010, Abbott appeared alongside media personality and former Conservative politician Michael Portillo on the BBC's weekly politics digest This Week. Abbott and Portillo have known each other since their schooldays, during which they appeared in joint school productions of Romeo and Juliet (although not in the title roles), and of Macbeth as Lady Macduff and Macduff respectively.[66]

In August 2012, the BBC Trust ruled that payments to Abbott for her appearances on This Week were made in breach of BBC guidelines that banned payments to MPs who were representing their political parties. For her part, Abbott had correctly declared the payments in the Parliamentary Register of Members' Interests. The Trust also said that Abbott had appeared on the show too often.[67]

Abbott is a frequent public speaker,[68] newspaper contributor[69] and TV performer, appearing on programmes including Have I Got News for You,[70] Celebrity Come Dine with Me[71] and Cash in the Celebrity Attic.[72]

Abbott was shortlisted for the Grassroot Diplomat Initiative Award in 2015 for her work on London Schools and the Black Child, and remains in the directory of the Grassroot Diplomat Who's Who publication.[73]

Political positions

Abbott has a record of differing from some party policies, voting against the Iraq War,[74] opposing ID cards and campaigning against the renewal of Britain's Trident nuclear weapons.[75][76]

Abortion rights

Abbott supported a number of amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (now Act) that favoured abortion rights[77][78] (along with Katy Clark MP and John McDonnell MP)[79] – including in 2008 leading on the NC30 Amendment of the Abortion Act 1967: Application to Northern Ireland.[80] Writing for The Guardian, Abbott argued that

When it comes to the right to choose, women in Northern Ireland are second-class citizens. They are denied the NHS treatment and funding for abortion that is permitted to every other woman in the United Kingdom.[81]

It was reported that the Labour Government at the time (in particular Harriet Harman[77][78]) asked MPs not to table these pro-abortion amendments (and at least until Third Reading) and then allegedly used parliamentary mechanisms in order to prevent a vote accordingly.[77] Speaking in the debate in Parliament, Abbott criticised these "manoeuvres":

I speak against the programme motion because—and I say this with no pleasure—it and the order of discussion appear to be a shabby manoeuvre by Ministers to stop the full debate of some very important matters. I appreciate that Ministers did not intend this to be a Bill about abortion. I am open to the argument that we should have another piece of legislation that would enable a full debate on most of the matters in relation to abortion that have been raised as amendments and new clauses to the Bill, but there is a special case for debating and voting on the particular new clause that I tabled to extend the 1967 Act to Northern Ireland.[82]

Saudi Arabia

Abbott criticised David Cameron's government for its continued support for Saudi Arabian-led military intervention in Yemen. In March 2016, Abbott wrote: "over the past year alone, Britain has sold around £6bn worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, whose campaign in Yemen is targeting civilians – 191 such attacks have collectively been reported by the UN, HRW and Amnesty."[83]

European Union

Abbott voted against the Maastricht Treaty.[84]

Abbott campaigned and supported the Labour Party's official preference for the remain campaign in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.[85][86] In December 2016, she told Andrew Marr that Labour policy was to respect the result of the referendum.[87]

In January 2017, Abbott stated that Labour could oppose the bill to trigger Article 50 if Labour's amendments were rejected.[88] She abstained from voting on the second reading of the Brexit Bill, after becoming ill hours before the vote,[89] and later voted in favour at the third and final reading. She said she did this out of party loyalty and respect for democracy[90] In December 2017, Abbott did not support holding a second referendum,[91] saying in 2018 that the UK would vote to leave again in a hypothetical poll.[92] She supported the holding of one after the 2019 European Parliament elections.[93] She consistently voted against the withdrawal agreement.[94]

Israel and Palestine conflict

During the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Abbott spoke at a Free Palestine rally in London condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestine.[95][96]

Windrush scandal

Abbott wrote to Sajid Javid demanding that he publish the figures for people caught up in the Windrush scandal, and also tell how many Commonwealth citizens lost their jobs, became homeless and were prevented from using public services. She wrote that "warm words are not enough", and maintained that transparency was needed to give the Windrush generation confidence ministers have come to grips with what is "clearly a systemic problem at the Home Office. In order to make good on your promise to do right by the Windrush generation and begin to right this historic wrong, you must stop covering up the extent of the Windrush crisis and publish these figures. (...) It is unacceptable and frankly scandalous that the extent of the Windrush crisis is yet to be revealed and that the home secretary is still to publish these figures. As the Windrush scandal shows, the hostile environment inevitably catches our fellow citizens who are legally entitled to be here in its net. The government now needs to stop covering up the true human cost of the hostile environment."[97]

In August 2018, Abbott complained that there were still delays in settling Windrush claims, saying: "From the Windrush scandal to immigration detention, to these outrageous delays – it is long past time that the government takes responsibility for leaving people distressed and destitute."[98]

Comments about Mao Zedong

In 2008, during a BBC One This Week interview between Abbott, Michael Portillo and Andrew Neil about who was history's worst dictator, Abbott said about the Chinese leader Mao Zedong: "I suppose some people will judge that on balance Mao did more good than harm... He led his country from feudalism, he helped to defeat the Japanese and he left his country on the verge of the great economic success they are having now." She finished by saying: "I was just putting the case for Mao."[99][100]

Political controversies

Education of Abbott's son

Abbott's decision in 2003 to send her son to the private City of London School after criticising colleagues for sending their children to selective schools, which she herself described as "indefensible" and "intellectually incoherent", caused controversy and criticism.[101][102][103][104]

According to the Daily Mirror, she said: "I'd done a lot of work on how black boys underachieve in secondary schools so I knew what a serious problem it was. I knew what could happen to my son if he was sent to the wrong school and got in with the wrong crowd. I realised they were subjected to peer pressure and when that happens it’s very hard for a mother to save her son. Once a black boy is lost to the world of gangs it's very hard to get them back and I was genuinely very fearful of what could happen."[105]

Her son contacted a radio phone-in to say that his mother was following his own wishes: "She's not a hypocrite, she just put what I wanted first instead of what people thought," he told LBC. He added that he had wanted to go private rather than attend a local state school in Abbott's Hackney constituency.[106][107][108]

Register of Members' Interests

In 2004, following a complaint made by Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, Abbott was investigated by the Committee on Standards and Privileges regarding payments she had received from the BBC. The committee found that she had failed to declare in the Register of Members' Interests earnings of £17,300 that she had received for appearances on the television programme This Week. The Committee upheld the complaint and required Abbott to apologise to the House.[109]

Comments on race

In 1996, Abbott was criticised after she claimed that at her local hospital "blonde, blue-eyed Finnish girls" were unsuitable as nurses because they had "never met a black person before".[110] In response, Marc Wadsworth, founder of the Anti-Racist Alliance, whose mother is Finnish, pointed out that the then-current Miss Finland, Lola Odusoga, was Black, of Nigerian and Finnish descent. "She's a black Finn like me," he said. Abbott's position was supported by fellow Labour MP Bernie Grant: "Bringing someone here from Finland who has never seen a black person before and expecting them to have some empathy with black people is nonsense. Scandinavian people don't know black people—they probably don't know how to take their temperature."[111][112]

In 2010, defending her decision to send her son to a private school, she asserted that "West Indian mums will go to the wall for their children", prompting criticism about this perceived slight on white mothers.[113]

On 4 January 2012, Abbott tweeted that: "White people love playing 'divide and rule'. We should not play their game", which again led to widespread criticism, including accusations of racism.[114] Abbott later apologised for "any offence caused", claiming that she had not intended to "make generalisations about white people"; she claimed in an interview with Andrew Neil that her tweet was referring to the history of the British Empire.[115][116][117] The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg called her comments a "stupid and crass generalisation". Nadhim Zahawi, Conservative MP, said: "This is racism. If this was a white member of Parliament saying that all black people want to do bad things to us he would have resigned within the hour or been sacked."[116] Members of the public lodged complaints, but the Metropolitan Police stated that no investigation would be launched, and no charges would be brought against her, saying she "did not commit a criminal offence."[118]

IRA

In May 2017, The Sunday Times reported that Abbott backed the IRA in a 1984 interview with Labour and Ireland, a pro-republican journal.[119][120] In the 1984 interview, Abbott criticised the Unionist population of Northern Ireland as an "enclave of white supremacist ideology comparable to white settlers in Zimbabwe", and called for their views to be ignored on the question of Unification, adding: "Ireland is our struggle—every defeat of the British state is a victory for all of us. A defeat in Northern Ireland would be a defeat indeed."[119][121]

In May 2017, while Shadow Home Secretary, she was asked by Andrew Marr whether she regretted her comments on the IRA. Abbott replied that "[i]t was 34 years ago and I've moved on".[122]

Charging fees for speeches to students

In 2017, Abbott was criticised after it emerged that in 2011, she charged the University of Birmingham £1,750 for a 50-minute speech. An online petition called on Abbott to repay the money to be used for educational purposes.[123]

Appearance alongside Chinese human rights abuse denier

In November 2020, Abbott apologised for appearing on a livestream with Li Jingjing, a journalist who works for the Chinese state-owned CGTN, who denied human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and suggested they were a "fiction" cooked up to try and start a "racial war". Abbott failed to challenge these remarks.[124]

Sasha Johnson comments

Following the shooting of Sasha Johnson on 23 May 2021, Abbott tweeted:

Black activist #SashaJohnson in hospital in critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head. Nobody should have to potentially pay with their life because they stood up for racial justice.[125][126]

The tweet was criticised by a Home Office source who accused Abbott of departing from the facts and for stoking racial tensions after suggesting that the shooting was a racially motivated attack and targeted because of Johnson's activism.[127] Abbott denies the claim the tweet inflamed racial divides.[126][128]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 24 February 2022, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Abbott was one of 11 Labour MPs threatened with losing the party whip after they signed a statement by the Stop the War Coalition that questioned the legitimacy of NATO and accused the military alliance of "eastward expansion". All 11 MPs subsequently removed their signatures.[129]

Online abuse

In a Guardian article in February 2017, Abbott wrote about receiving racist and sexist abuse online every day, such as threats of rape.[130] A few days later, in an interview with Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Abbott proposed a parliamentary inquiry into the sexist and racist abuse of MPs in social media and the way Twitter and Facebook investigate cases that arise.[131] An Amnesty International report found that Abbott was the subject of almost half of all abusive tweets about female MPs on Twitter during the 2017 election campaign, receiving ten times more abuse than any other MP.[132][needs update]

Personal life

Abbott had a brief relationship with Jeremy Corbyn, who later became the Labour leader, when he was a councillor in north London in the late 1970s.[133][134] In 1991, she married David P. Ayensu-Thompson,[135] a Ghanaian architect. They had one son together, James (born October 1991[20] or 1992[11]), before divorcing in 1993.[11][2][136] Abbott chose her Conservative MP voting pair, Jonathan Aitken, as her son's godfather.[137]

In 2007, Abbott began learning the piano under the tutelage of Paul Roberts, Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, for the BBC documentary TV programme Play It Again.[138] She performed Frédéric Chopin's Prelude No. 4 in E minor before an audience.[138]

In 2015, Abbott was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.[54][55]

In July 2019, Abbott called 999 after being "chased around her home" by her son, James Abbott-Thompson. In relation to this incident, as well as subsequent incidents away from Abbott's home, Abbott-Thompson later pleaded guilty to 12 assaults and racially aggravated criminal damage.[139][140]

In September 2020, an authorised biography of Diane Abbott was released, Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography, by Robin Bunce and Samara Linton, published by Biteback.[141][142] In 2020, Abbott was invited to participate in Strictly Come Dancing. Speaking on BBC Radio Four's Today Programme, she said that she refused the invitation, pausing only "for about sixty seconds".[143] Instead, she said that she will continue to do what she has done all of her life, speaking up on human rights, civil liberties, women's rights, and representing the people of Hackney.[143]

Written works

  • Abbott, Diane (2023). A Woman Like Me: A Memoir. London: Viking.[144]

Notes

  1. ^ On Leave from 7 to 18 June 2017.

References

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External links

  • Diane Abbott MP. Official constituency website
  • Diane Abbott – The first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons".
  • Appearances on C-SPAN


diane, abbott, american, actress, singer, diahnne, abbott, diane, julie, abbott, born, september, 1953, british, politician, been, member, parliament, hackney, north, stoke, newington, since, 1987, member, labour, party, served, shadow, cabinet, jeremy, corbyn. For the American actress and singer see Diahnne Abbott Diane Julie Abbott born 27 September 1953 is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987 A member of the Labour Party she served in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Home Secretary from 2016 to 2020 Abbott was the first black woman elected to Parliament and is the longest serving black MP in the House of Commons The Right HonourableDiane AbbottMPOfficial portrait 2017Shadow Home SecretaryIn office 6 October 2016 5 April 2020 a LeaderJeremy CorbynPreceded byAndy BurnhamSucceeded byNick Thomas SymondsShadow Secretary of State for HealthIn office 27 June 2016 6 October 2016LeaderJeremy CorbynPreceded byHeidi AlexanderSucceeded byJonathan AshworthShadow Secretary of State for International DevelopmentIn office 13 September 2015 27 June 2016LeaderJeremy CorbynPreceded byMary CreaghSucceeded byKate OsamorShadow Minister for Public HealthIn office 9 October 2010 8 October 2013LeaderEd MilibandPreceded byAnne MiltonSucceeded byLuciana BergerMember of Parliamentfor Hackney North and Stoke NewingtonIncumbentAssumed office 11 June 1987Preceded byErnie RobertsMajority33 188 58 4 Personal detailsBornDiane Julie Abbott 1953 09 27 27 September 1953 age 69 London EnglandPolitical partyLabourOther politicalaffiliationsSocialist Campaign GroupSpouseDavid Ayensu Thompson m 1991 div 1993 wbr Children1EducationHarrow County School for GirlsAlma materNewnham College CambridgeWebsiteOfficial websiteAbbott s voice source source source track Desert Island Discs 18 May 2008 1 Born in Paddington to a British Jamaican family Abbott attended Harrow County School for Girls before going to read History at Newnham College Cambridge After joining and leaving the Civil Service she worked as a reporter for Thames Television and TV am before becoming a press officer for the Greater London Council Joining the Labour Party she was elected to Westminster City Council in 1982 and then as an MP in 1987 being returned in every general election since She was a member of the Labour Party Black Sections Critical of Tony Blair s New Labour project that pushed the party towards the centre during the 1990s in the House of Commons Abbott voted against several Blairite policies including the Iraq War and the Identity Cards Act 2006 She stood for the Labour Party leadership on a left wing platform in 2010 losing heavily to Ed Miliband who appointed her Shadow Minister for Health in the Official Opposition frontbench A supporter of Jeremy Corbyn s bid to become Labour Leader in 2015 Abbott became Shadow Secretary of State for International Development then Shadow Health Secretary and eventually Shadow Home Secretary As a key Corbyn ally she supported his leftward push of the Labour Party She unsuccessfully attempted to be chosen as the Labour candidate for the 2016 London mayoral election and backed the unsuccessful Britain Stronger in Europe campaign to retain UK membership of the European Union After the 2019 general election Abbott was removed from the Shadow Cabinet under Keir Starmer She remains in the House of Commons but as a backbencher Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Political career 2 1 2010 leadership election and frontbench role 2 2 Removal from the frontbench and 2015 London mayoral election 2 3 Return to the frontbench 2 4 2017 general election 2 5 Since 2017 3 Media work 4 Political positions 4 1 Abortion rights 4 2 Saudi Arabia 4 3 European Union 4 4 Israel and Palestine conflict 4 5 Windrush scandal 4 6 Comments about Mao Zedong 5 Political controversies 5 1 Education of Abbott s son 5 2 Register of Members Interests 5 3 Comments on race 5 4 IRA 5 5 Charging fees for speeches to students 5 6 Appearance alongside Chinese human rights abuse denier 5 7 Sasha Johnson comments 5 8 Russian invasion of Ukraine 6 Online abuse 7 Personal life 8 Written works 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksEarly life and career EditAbbott was born to Jamaican parents in Paddington London on 27 September 1953 Her father worked as a welder and her mother as a nurse 2 3 Both of her parents left school at the age of 14 4 She attended Harrow County School for Girls a grammar school and then Newnham College Cambridge where she read history achieving a lower second class degree 2 2 5 6 At Cambridge she was supervised by Sir Simon Schama 7 After university Abbott became an administration trainee a fast track route to senior positions in HM Civil Service 8 at the Home Office 1976 to 1978 and then a Race Relations Officer at the National Council for Civil Liberties 1978 to 1980 9 She was a researcher and reporter at Thames Television from 1980 to 1983 and then a researcher at the breakfast television company TV am from 1983 to 1985 10 She was a press officer at the Greater London Council under Ken Livingstone from 1985 to 1986 and Head of Press and Public Relations at Lambeth Council from 1986 to 1987 9 Political career EditAbbott s career in politics began in 1982 when she was elected to Westminster City Council serving until 1986 In 1983 she was active in the Labour Party Black Sections movement alongside Bernie Grant Paul Boateng and Keith Vaz campaigning for greater African Caribbean and Asian political representation 10 11 In 1985 she unsuccessfully fought to be selected in Brent East losing out to Ken Livingstone 12 In 1987 Abbott was elected to the House of Commons replacing the deselected serving Labour MP Ernie Roberts as MP for Hackney North amp Stoke Newington She was the first black woman to become an MP 13 Abbott s speech on civil liberties in the debate on the Counter Terrorism Bill 2008 14 won The Spectator magazine s Parliamentary Speech of the Year award 15 and further recognition at the 2008 Human Rights awards 16 A speech by Abbott in a House of Commons debate on the Caribbean is included in Margaret Busby s 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa 17 18 Abbott has served on a number of parliamentary committees on social and international issues and held shadow ministerial positions in successive Shadow Cabinets For most of the 1990s she also served on the Treasury Select Committee of the House of Commons 19 She went on to serve on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee 19 She gave birth to her son in October 1991 one year before the House of Commons introduced a creche 20 Abbott chairs the All Party Parliamentary British Caribbean Group and the All Party Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Group 19 She is the founder of the London Schools and the Black Child initiative which aims to raise educational achievement levels amongst black children 21 In May 2010 Abbott was returned as MP for the constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington with a doubled majority on an increased turn out 22 She was again re elected in 2015 with 62 of the vote 23 At Goldsmiths College on 26 October 2012 a jubilee celebration was held to honour Abbott s 25 years in Parliament with a series of contributions by Linton Kwesi Johnson Kadija Sesay Tunday Akintan and others 24 25 2010 leadership election and frontbench role Edit Abbott speaking at the New Statesman hustings for the 2010 Labour Party leadership election Main article 2010 Labour Party leadership election UK On 20 May 2010 Abbott announced her intention to stand in the Labour leadership contest She secured the necessary 33 nominations by 9 June assisted by the withdrawal of John McDonnell and support from David Miliband and Jack Straw among others 26 27 On Saturday 25 September 2010 Ed Miliband was announced as the new leader of the Labour Party Abbott having been eliminated in the first round of voting after securing 7 24 of votes 28 Abbott was later appointed Shadow Minister for Public Health by Ed Miliband taking shadow responsibility for a range of issues including children s health maternity services sexual health tobacco nursing obesity and alcohol abuse 29 Following her move onto the front bench the Telegraph said on 27 September 2011 that Abbott had become one of Labour s best front bench performers 30 On the issue of abortion Abbott has become a vocal pro choice supporter opposing moves towards changing abortion counselling policy and reducing the abortion time limit She resigned from a cross party group on abortion counselling saying it was no more than a front to push forward an anti abortion agenda without debate in parliament 31 In 2011 she voted in favour of military intervention in Libya 32 On 5 February 2013 following the Second Reading Abbott voted in favour of the Marriage Same Sex Couples Bill 33 Removal from the frontbench and 2015 London mayoral election Edit Main article 2015 London Labour Party mayoral selection On 8 October 2013 Abbott was sacked as Shadow Public Health Minister in a reshuffle by Labour leader Ed Miliband 34 and replaced by Luciana Berger 35 On 23 June 2014 Abbott had stated she would consider standing in the 2016 London mayoral election as Mayor of London 36 On 30 November 2014 Abbott announced her intention to put herself forward to become Labour s candidate at the London mayoral elections in 2016 37 She was unsuccessful in her bid for Labour s 2015 London mayoral election nomination She was one of 16 signatories of an open letter to Ed Miliband in January 2015 calling on the party to commit to oppose further austerity take rail franchises back into public ownership and strengthen collective bargaining arrangements 38 Return to the frontbench Edit A close ally of Jeremy Corbyn Abbott was one of 36 Labour MPs to nominate him as a candidate in the Labour leadership election of 2015 39 Following Corbyn s election as Labour leader Abbott was appointed to the post of Shadow Secretary of State for International Development 40 On 27 June 2016 after the resignations of many of Labour s ministerial team in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum Abbott was promoted to the position of Shadow Health Secretary 41 On 6 October 2016 following the resignation of Andy Burnham Abbott was appointed Shadow Home Secretary She was sworn of the Privy Council on 15 February 2017 42 2017 general election Edit Abbott at a Jeremy Corbyn leadership rally in August 2016 On 2 May 2017 during that year s general election campaign Labour s pledge to recruit an extra 10 000 police officers was overshadowed by Abbott s inability to give accurate funding figures In an interview on LBC Radio with Nick Ferrari she repeatedly struggled to explain how the promise would be funded In the interview Abbott frequently paused shuffled her papers and gave out the wrong figures 43 When asked about her performance the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn insisted he was not embarrassed by what many pundits called a car crash interview 44 In a further interview conducted by ITV on 5 May 2017 as the 2017 local elections results were being announced Abbott was again unable to give accurate figures on the Labour Party s performance suggesting that the party had a net loss of 50 seats However her figure was corrected by the interviewer who stated that Labour had in fact lost 125 seats at which point Abbott said that the last figures she had seen were a net loss of around 100 45 Appearing on Andrew Marr s Sunday morning programme for the BBC on 28 May Abbott s apparent support for the IRA nearly 35 years ago came up along with some parliamentary votes Marr thought questionable These included her advocacy of the abolition of conspiratorial groups such as MI5 and Special Branch in the late 1980s both of which she said had been successfully reformed She defended a vote opposing the proscription of a list of groups including al Qaida on the basis that some of the others had the status of dissidents in their country of origin and Abbott would have voted to ban al Qaida in isolation 46 According to Sam Coates in The Times this appearance was arranged without the consent of Labour s campaign team 47 Abbott at a rally in Trafalgar Square in 2016 On 5 June 2017 during a Sky News interview Abbott was unable to answer questions about the Harris report on how to protect London from terror attacks She insisted that she had read the report but was unable to recall any of the 127 recommendations When asked if she could remember the specific recommendations Abbott said I think it was an important review and we should act on it 48 49 Abbott also denied reports that Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell were attempting to stop her from making broadcasts 47 50 The next day Abbott withdrew at the last minute citing illness from a joint interview on Woman s Hour on 6 June in which she had been due to face her Conservative frontbench opposite number Amber Rudd 51 On 7 June Corbyn announced that Abbott was not well and had stepped aside in her role as Shadow Home Secretary Lyn Brown was temporarily assigned to replace her 52 Barry Gardiner said in a radio interview on LBC that Abbott had been diagnosed with having a long term medical condition and was coming to terms with that 52 In spite of these controversies Abbott was re elected in her seat of Hackney North and Stoke Newington receiving 75 of the constituency s votes with an increased majority of over 35 000 53 The following week it became known that Abbott had been diagnosed as suffering from type 2 diabetes in 2015 54 55 During the election campaign everything went crazy and the diabetes was out of control the blood sugar was out of control she told The Guardian 54 Dealing with six or seven interviews in a row became problematic because she was not eating enough food which forced a break upon her however the condition is back under control 54 Abbott returned to the role of Shadow Home Secretary on 18 June 56 Since 2017 Edit On 2 October 2019 Abbott became the first black MP at the dispatch box at Prime Minister s Questions 57 She served as a temporary stand in for the Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn while First Secretary of State Dominic Raab stood in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson 58 Abbott was a supporter of Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow and defended him from bullying allegations made by David Leakey 59 She was re elected at the snap 2019 general election On 23 February 2020 Abbott said she would be standing down as Shadow Home Secretary and leaving the frontbench 60 upon the election of a new Labour leader She stood down on 5 April and was succeeded by Nick Thomas Symonds 61 In April 2020 she was appointed to the Home Affairs Select Committee 62 In May 2021 she wrote in a Guardian article that if Labour was to lose the Batley and Spen by election Starmer should resign as Labour leader 63 She described the local elections as disappointing for Labour Abbott criticised the shadow cabinet reshuffle later carried out by Keir Starmer She told Sophy Ridge on Sky News that his demotion of Angela Rayner was baffling 64 After the 2022 local elections Abbott said that Keir Starmer should resign if he is fined by Durham Constabulary over Beergate 65 Media work EditUntil her appointment as a shadow minister in October 2010 Abbott appeared alongside media personality and former Conservative politician Michael Portillo on the BBC s weekly politics digest This Week Abbott and Portillo have known each other since their schooldays during which they appeared in joint school productions of Romeo and Juliet although not in the title roles and of Macbeth as Lady Macduff and Macduff respectively 66 In August 2012 the BBC Trust ruled that payments to Abbott for her appearances on This Week were made in breach of BBC guidelines that banned payments to MPs who were representing their political parties For her part Abbott had correctly declared the payments in the Parliamentary Register of Members Interests The Trust also said that Abbott had appeared on the show too often 67 Abbott is a frequent public speaker 68 newspaper contributor 69 and TV performer appearing on programmes including Have I Got News for You 70 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 71 and Cash in the Celebrity Attic 72 Abbott was shortlisted for the Grassroot Diplomat Initiative Award in 2015 for her work on London Schools and the Black Child and remains in the directory of the Grassroot Diplomat Who s Who publication 73 Political positions EditAbbott has a record of differing from some party policies voting against the Iraq War 74 opposing ID cards and campaigning against the renewal of Britain s Trident nuclear weapons 75 76 Abortion rights Edit Abbott supported a number of amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill now Act that favoured abortion rights 77 78 along with Katy Clark MP and John McDonnell MP 79 including in 2008 leading on the NC30 Amendment of the Abortion Act 1967 Application to Northern Ireland 80 Writing for The Guardian Abbott argued that When it comes to the right to choose women in Northern Ireland are second class citizens They are denied the NHS treatment and funding for abortion that is permitted to every other woman in the United Kingdom 81 It was reported that the Labour Government at the time in particular Harriet Harman 77 78 asked MPs not to table these pro abortion amendments and at least until Third Reading and then allegedly used parliamentary mechanisms in order to prevent a vote accordingly 77 Speaking in the debate in Parliament Abbott criticised these manoeuvres I speak against the programme motion because and I say this with no pleasure it and the order of discussion appear to be a shabby manoeuvre by Ministers to stop the full debate of some very important matters I appreciate that Ministers did not intend this to be a Bill about abortion I am open to the argument that we should have another piece of legislation that would enable a full debate on most of the matters in relation to abortion that have been raised as amendments and new clauses to the Bill but there is a special case for debating and voting on the particular new clause that I tabled to extend the 1967 Act to Northern Ireland 82 Saudi Arabia Edit Abbott criticised David Cameron s government for its continued support for Saudi Arabian led military intervention in Yemen In March 2016 Abbott wrote over the past year alone Britain has sold around 6bn worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia whose campaign in Yemen is targeting civilians 191 such attacks have collectively been reported by the UN HRW and Amnesty 83 European Union Edit Abbott voted against the Maastricht Treaty 84 Abbott campaigned and supported the Labour Party s official preference for the remain campaign in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum 85 86 In December 2016 she told Andrew Marr that Labour policy was to respect the result of the referendum 87 In January 2017 Abbott stated that Labour could oppose the bill to trigger Article 50 if Labour s amendments were rejected 88 She abstained from voting on the second reading of the Brexit Bill after becoming ill hours before the vote 89 and later voted in favour at the third and final reading She said she did this out of party loyalty and respect for democracy 90 In December 2017 Abbott did not support holding a second referendum 91 saying in 2018 that the UK would vote to leave again in a hypothetical poll 92 She supported the holding of one after the 2019 European Parliament elections 93 She consistently voted against the withdrawal agreement 94 Israel and Palestine conflict Edit During the 2021 Israel Palestine crisis Abbott spoke at a Free Palestine rally in London condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestine 95 96 Windrush scandal Edit Abbott wrote to Sajid Javid demanding that he publish the figures for people caught up in the Windrush scandal and also tell how many Commonwealth citizens lost their jobs became homeless and were prevented from using public services She wrote that warm words are not enough and maintained that transparency was needed to give the Windrush generation confidence ministers have come to grips with what is clearly a systemic problem at the Home Office In order to make good on your promise to do right by the Windrush generation and begin to right this historic wrong you must stop covering up the extent of the Windrush crisis and publish these figures It is unacceptable and frankly scandalous that the extent of the Windrush crisis is yet to be revealed and that the home secretary is still to publish these figures As the Windrush scandal shows the hostile environment inevitably catches our fellow citizens who are legally entitled to be here in its net The government now needs to stop covering up the true human cost of the hostile environment 97 In August 2018 Abbott complained that there were still delays in settling Windrush claims saying From the Windrush scandal to immigration detention to these outrageous delays it is long past time that the government takes responsibility for leaving people distressed and destitute 98 Comments about Mao Zedong Edit In 2008 during a BBC One This Week interview between Abbott Michael Portillo and Andrew Neil about who was history s worst dictator Abbott said about the Chinese leader Mao Zedong I suppose some people will judge that on balance Mao did more good than harm He led his country from feudalism he helped to defeat the Japanese and he left his country on the verge of the great economic success they are having now She finished by saying I was just putting the case for Mao 99 100 Political controversies EditEducation of Abbott s son Edit Abbott s decision in 2003 to send her son to the private City of London School after criticising colleagues for sending their children to selective schools which she herself described as indefensible and intellectually incoherent caused controversy and criticism 101 102 103 104 According to the Daily Mirror she said I d done a lot of work on how black boys underachieve in secondary schools so I knew what a serious problem it was I knew what could happen to my son if he was sent to the wrong school and got in with the wrong crowd I realised they were subjected to peer pressure and when that happens it s very hard for a mother to save her son Once a black boy is lost to the world of gangs it s very hard to get them back and I was genuinely very fearful of what could happen 105 Her son contacted a radio phone in to say that his mother was following his own wishes She s not a hypocrite she just put what I wanted first instead of what people thought he told LBC He added that he had wanted to go private rather than attend a local state school in Abbott s Hackney constituency 106 107 108 Register of Members Interests Edit In 2004 following a complaint made by Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell Abbott was investigated by the Committee on Standards and Privileges regarding payments she had received from the BBC The committee found that she had failed to declare in the Register of Members Interests earnings of 17 300 that she had received for appearances on the television programme This Week The Committee upheld the complaint and required Abbott to apologise to the House 109 Comments on race Edit In 1996 Abbott was criticised after she claimed that at her local hospital blonde blue eyed Finnish girls were unsuitable as nurses because they had never met a black person before 110 In response Marc Wadsworth founder of the Anti Racist Alliance whose mother is Finnish pointed out that the then current Miss Finland Lola Odusoga was Black of Nigerian and Finnish descent She s a black Finn like me he said Abbott s position was supported by fellow Labour MP Bernie Grant Bringing someone here from Finland who has never seen a black person before and expecting them to have some empathy with black people is nonsense Scandinavian people don t know black people they probably don t know how to take their temperature 111 112 In 2010 defending her decision to send her son to a private school she asserted that West Indian mums will go to the wall for their children prompting criticism about this perceived slight on white mothers 113 On 4 January 2012 Abbott tweeted that White people love playing divide and rule We should not play their game which again led to widespread criticism including accusations of racism 114 Abbott later apologised for any offence caused claiming that she had not intended to make generalisations about white people she claimed in an interview with Andrew Neil that her tweet was referring to the history of the British Empire 115 116 117 The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg called her comments a stupid and crass generalisation Nadhim Zahawi Conservative MP said This is racism If this was a white member of Parliament saying that all black people want to do bad things to us he would have resigned within the hour or been sacked 116 Members of the public lodged complaints but the Metropolitan Police stated that no investigation would be launched and no charges would be brought against her saying she did not commit a criminal offence 118 IRA Edit In May 2017 The Sunday Times reported that Abbott backed the IRA in a 1984 interview with Labour and Ireland a pro republican journal 119 120 In the 1984 interview Abbott criticised the Unionist population of Northern Ireland as an enclave of white supremacist ideology comparable to white settlers in Zimbabwe and called for their views to be ignored on the question of Unification adding Ireland is our struggle every defeat of the British state is a victory for all of us A defeat in Northern Ireland would be a defeat indeed 119 121 In May 2017 while Shadow Home Secretary she was asked by Andrew Marr whether she regretted her comments on the IRA Abbott replied that i t was 34 years ago and I ve moved on 122 Charging fees for speeches to students Edit In 2017 Abbott was criticised after it emerged that in 2011 she charged the University of Birmingham 1 750 for a 50 minute speech An online petition called on Abbott to repay the money to be used for educational purposes 123 Appearance alongside Chinese human rights abuse denier Edit In November 2020 Abbott apologised for appearing on a livestream with Li Jingjing a journalist who works for the Chinese state owned CGTN who denied human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and suggested they were a fiction cooked up to try and start a racial war Abbott failed to challenge these remarks 124 Sasha Johnson comments Edit Following the shooting of Sasha Johnson on 23 May 2021 Abbott tweeted Black activist SashaJohnson in hospital in critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head Nobody should have to potentially pay with their life because they stood up for racial justice 125 126 The tweet was criticised by a Home Office source who accused Abbott of departing from the facts and for stoking racial tensions after suggesting that the shooting was a racially motivated attack and targeted because of Johnson s activism 127 Abbott denies the claim the tweet inflamed racial divides 126 128 Russian invasion of Ukraine Edit On 24 February 2022 following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Abbott was one of 11 Labour MPs threatened with losing the party whip after they signed a statement by the Stop the War Coalition that questioned the legitimacy of NATO and accused the military alliance of eastward expansion All 11 MPs subsequently removed their signatures 129 Online abuse EditIn a Guardian article in February 2017 Abbott wrote about receiving racist and sexist abuse online every day such as threats of rape 130 A few days later in an interview with Sophy Ridge on Sky News Abbott proposed a parliamentary inquiry into the sexist and racist abuse of MPs in social media and the way Twitter and Facebook investigate cases that arise 131 An Amnesty International report found that Abbott was the subject of almost half of all abusive tweets about female MPs on Twitter during the 2017 election campaign receiving ten times more abuse than any other MP 132 needs update Personal life EditAbbott had a brief relationship with Jeremy Corbyn who later became the Labour leader when he was a councillor in north London in the late 1970s 133 134 In 1991 she married David P Ayensu Thompson 135 a Ghanaian architect They had one son together James born October 1991 20 or 1992 11 before divorcing in 1993 11 2 136 Abbott chose her Conservative MP voting pair Jonathan Aitken as her son s godfather 137 In 2007 Abbott began learning the piano under the tutelage of Paul Roberts Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for the BBC documentary TV programme Play It Again 138 She performed Frederic Chopin s Prelude No 4 in E minor before an audience 138 In 2015 Abbott was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 54 55 In July 2019 Abbott called 999 after being chased around her home by her son James Abbott Thompson In relation to this incident as well as subsequent incidents away from Abbott s home Abbott Thompson later pleaded guilty to 12 assaults and racially aggravated criminal damage 139 140 In September 2020 an authorised biography of Diane Abbott was released Diane Abbott The Authorised Biography by Robin Bunce and Samara Linton published by Biteback 141 142 In 2020 Abbott was invited to participate in Strictly Come Dancing Speaking on BBC Radio Four s Today Programme she said that she refused the invitation pausing only for about sixty seconds 143 Instead she said that she will continue to do what she has done all of her life speaking up on human rights civil liberties women s rights and representing the people of Hackney 143 Written works EditAbbott Diane 2023 A Woman Like Me A Memoir London Viking 144 Notes Edit On Leave from 7 to 18 June 2017 References Edit Diane Abbott Desert Island Discs 18 May 2008 BBC Radio 4 Archived from the original on 30 May 2015 Retrieved 18 January 2014 a b Appiah Kwame Anthony Henry Louis Gates Jr eds 1999 Africana The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience Basic Civitas Books ISBN 978 0 465 00071 5 Retrieved 31 July 2013 Labour Party Conference Speech 2016 Diane Abbott MP 4 October 2016 Shelf Life Diane Abbott www penguin co uk 29 July 2019 Archived from the original on 4 September 2019 Retrieved 4 September 2019 Whale Sebastian 7 March 2019 Diane Abbott Jamaicans have a lot of self belief you know Politics Home Archived from the original on 8 March 2019 Retrieved 19 November 2019 Faces of the week BBC News 7 November 2003 Archived from the original on 21 May 2006 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Simon Schama on the American right BBC News 21 August 2008 Retrieved 27 March 2010 Home Civil Service Fast Stream Faststream gov uk Archived from the original on 3 June 2017 Retrieved 18 June 2017 a b Vote 2001 Candidates Diane Abbott BBC News 2001 Archived from the original on 14 July 2014 Retrieved 21 May 2010 a b Wadsworth Marc 15 June 2017 Diane Abbott She Won t Be Quitting Any Time Soon Archived 16 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Voice a b c Bush Stephen 17 January 2017 Having the last laugh Archived 6 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine New Statesman Retrieved 25 October 2020 Milne Seumas 29 April 2015 From the archive 29 April 1985 Ken Livingstone wins fight for Brent East nomination Archived 27 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian Pioneers The First Asian and Black MPs Houses of Parliament Retrieved 11 June 2020 Department of the Official Report Hansard House of Commons Westminster 11 June 2008 Hansard 11 June 2008 col 379 Publications parliament uk Archived from the original on 24 April 2010 Retrieved 20 May 2010 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Parliamentarian of the Year Awards Recipients 2008 The Spectator 20 November 2008 Archived from the original on 6 September 2017 Retrieved 5 September 2017 The Law Society The Law Society 9 December 2008 Archived from the original on 27 September 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Buchan Carole 29 April 2019 Anthology of writing by women of African descent features more than 200 contributors Sussex Express Hayden Sally 16 March 2019 New Daughters of Africa review vast and nuanced collection Irish Times a b c Diane Abbott Labour parliamentary candidate for Hackney North Hackney Citizen 25 April 2010 Archived from the original on 19 January 2012 Retrieved 5 January 2012 a b Bunce Robin Linton Samara 29 September 2020 How Diane Abbott fought racism and her own party to become Britain s first black female MP The Guardian Retrieved 25 October 2020 London Schools and the Black Child LSBC Blackeducation info Archived from the original on 31 December 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Diane Abbott wins Hackney North and Stoke Newington with massive majority Myhackney co uk 7 May 2010 Archived from the original on 3 September 2012 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Ms Diane Abbott MP UK Parliament Archived from the original on 8 June 2015 Retrieved 6 June 2015 A Jubilee of a Different Kind Celebrating Diane Abbott s 25 years as an MP Goldsmiths University of London 26 October 2012 Archived from the original on 29 October 2013 Retrieved 25 October 2013 A Jubilee of a Different Kind jubileeofadifferentkind wordpress com 26 October 2012 Archived from the original on 29 October 2013 Retrieved 25 October 2013 Diane Abbott goes through to next Labour leader round BBC News 9 June 2010 Retrieved 9 June 2010 Stratton Allegra 9 June 2010 David Miliband keeps Diane Abbott in Labour leadership race The Guardian London Archived from the original on 5 April 2017 Retrieved 11 December 2016 Kite Melissa 26 September 2010 Labour Voting system conjures up a gripping finish The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 3 October 2010 Retrieved 2 April 2018 Wellman Alex 11 October 2010 Diane Abbott appointed Shadow Junior Minister for Public Health Hackney Gazette Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 October 2010 The Top 100 Most Influential People on the Left 2011 25 51 The Daily Telegraph London 27 September 2011 Archived from the original on 18 November 2018 Retrieved 2 April 2018 Boseley Sarah 26 January 2012 Diane Abbott resigns from abortion counselling working group The Guardian Archived 1 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine The full list of how MPs voted on Libya action BBC News 22 March 2011 Retrieved 20 October 2021 House of Commons Hansard Debates for 05 Feb 2013 Parliament uk 5 February 2013 Archived from the original on 15 November 2014 Retrieved 2 May 2013 Diane Abbott axed as shadow health minister by Ed Miliband Archived 29 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine BBC News 8 October 2013 Grice Andrew 8 October 2013 Diane Abbott attacks Labour s stance on immigration The Independent London Archived from the original on 8 October 2013 Retrieved 9 October 2013 Cecil Nicholas 23 June 2014 Diane Abbott is Labour supporters top choice to run for London Mayor new poll reveals Evening Standard Archived from the original on 25 June 2014 Retrieved 23 June 2014 Diane Abbott planning to run for Mayor of London BBC News 30 November 2014 Archived from the original on 7 November 2018 Retrieved 20 June 2018 Eaton George 26 January 2015 The Labour left demand a change of direction why their intervention matters New Statesman Archived from the original on 12 April 2015 Retrieved 5 April 2015 Who nominated who for the 2015 Labour leadership election Archived 28 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine New Statesman 15 June 2015 Shadow Cabinet Who s In And Who s Out Sky News 14 September 2015 Archived from the original on 16 September 2015 Retrieved 14 September 2015 Grierson Jamie Anushka Asthana 27 June 2016 Jeremy Corbyn unveils new shadow cabinet after raft of resignations The Guardian Archived from the original on 25 December 2016 Retrieved 11 December 2016 Orders approved at the Privy Council held by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 15th February 2017 PDF Privy Council UK Archived PDF from the original on 21 February 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2019 Crace John 2 May 2017 The Politics sketch The Guardian Abbott Diane 2 May 2017 Diane Abbott says she misspoke on Labour s police policy BBC News Archived from the original on 2 May 2017 Retrieved 2 May 2017 Maidment Jack 5 May 2017 Diane Abbott Labour Count Error The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 5 May 2017 Retrieved 6 May 2017 Syal Rajeev 28 May 2017 Diane Abbott compares IRA views to changing hairstyles The Guardian Archived from the original on 28 May 2017 Retrieved 28 May 2017 a b Coates Sam 3 June 2017 Labour frontbench fury as Diane Abbott goes rogue The Times Archived from the original on 3 June 2017 Retrieved 6 June 2017 subscription required Jamieson Sophie 6 June 2017 Diane Abbott suffers yet another car crash interview as she flounders on details of anti terror report The Telegraph Telegraph Media Group Archived from the original on 19 June 2017 Retrieved 18 June 2017 Austin Henry 6 June 2017 Diane Abbott struggles with questions on recent London terror report in latest bungled interview The Independent Independent Print Limited Archived from the original on 25 June 2017 Retrieved 18 June 2017 Watts Joe 6 June 2017 Diane Abbott pulls out of Woman s Hour election debate with Amber Rudd after another bungled interview The Independent Archived from the original on 6 June 2017 Retrieved 6 June 2017 Stewart Heather 6 June 2017 Diane Abbott pulls out of Woman s Hour debate due to illness The Guardian Archived from the original on 6 June 2017 Retrieved 6 June 2017 a b Walker Peter Heather Stewart 7 June 2017 Diane Abbott to step aside for the period of her ill health Corbyn says The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Archived from the original on 7 June 2017 Retrieved 7 June 2017 Horton Helena 9 June 2017 Vindicated Diane Abbott celebrates as she wins biggest ever majority The Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 June 2017 Retrieved 11 June 2017 a b c d Asthana Anushka Stewart Heather 13 June 2017 Diane Abbott reveals illness and hits out at vicious Tory campaign The Guardian Archived from the original on 13 June 2017 Retrieved 13 June 2017 a b Diane Abbott reveals she has type 2 diabetes BBC News 13 June 2017 Archived from the original on 14 June 2017 Retrieved 14 June 2017 Diane Abbott back in shadow cabinet after diabetes struggle BBC News 18 June 2017 Archived from the original on 18 June 2017 Retrieved 18 June 2017 Abbott first black MP at PMQs despatch box BBC News 2 October 2019 Archived from the original on 3 October 2019 Retrieved 3 October 2019 D Arcy Mark 2 October 2019 PMQs verdict Dominic Raab and Diane Abbott do battle BBC News Archived from the original on 3 October 2019 Retrieved 3 October 2019 Giordano Chiara 5 February 2020 Diane Abbott criticised after suggesting former military commander could not have been bullying victim The Independent Retrieved 20 November 2020 Allegretti Aubrey 24 February 2020 Diane Abbott to step down from shadow cabinet Sky News Retrieved 20 November 2020 Baker Tim 23 February 2020 Diane Abbott to stand down from shadow cabinet when new Labour leader is elected Evening Standard Retrieved 5 April 2020 Committees Hansard hansard parliament uk 11 April 2020 Retrieved 13 May 2020 Elgot Jessica 19 May 2021 Losing byelection would be curtains for Keir Starmer says Diane Abbott The Guardian Retrieved 19 May 2021 Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine Diane Abbott says It s baffling why Keir Starmer sacked Angela Rayner Sky News Retrieved 14 October 2021 Keir Starmer should consider position if fined says Diane Abbott BBC News 7 May 2022 Retrieved 7 May 2022 Have I Got News For You with Jimmy Savile and Diane Abbott Have I Got News For You 28 May 1999 BBC BBC 2 BBC payments to MP Diane Abbott breached guidelines BBC News 30 August 2012 Archived from the original on 30 November 2018 Retrieved 20 June 2018 About Diane Dianeabbott org uk Archived from the original on 6 October 2018 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Abbott Diane Diane Abbott Comment is free The Guardian London Archived from the original on 18 January 2017 Retrieved 11 December 2016 Episode 2 Series 50 Have I Got News for You BBC One Archived from the original on 5 October 2016 Retrieved 9 November 2016 High Street Ken 12 January 2011 Diary Diane s appetite for losing The Independent London Archived from the original on 6 October 2018 Retrieved 30 August 2017 Two Programmes Cash in the Celebrity Attic Series 6 Diane Abbott BBC 13 January 2011 Archived from the original on 29 June 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Grassroot Diplomat Who s Who Grassroot Diplomat 15 March 2015 Archived from the original on 20 May 2015 Retrieved 27 April 2015 O Leary Naomi 1 May 2012 Diane Abbott Cambridge was the making of me Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine The Cambridge Student Riddell Mary 16 June 2010 Diane Abbott It s very lonely being a single mother The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 5 February 2011 Retrieved 2 April 2018 Profile Diane Abbott BBC News 9 June 2010 Archived from the original on 27 September 2018 Retrieved 20 June 2018 a b c Galbraith Rebecca 9 March 2009 Harriet Harman shouldn t be blogging on International Women s Day she s suppressed women s rights for 12 years LabourList Archived from the original on 16 March 2018 Retrieved 16 March 2018 a b Watt Nicholas 20 October 2008 Harman to block Commons votes on liberalising abortion laws The Guardian Archived from the original on 17 March 2018 Retrieved 16 March 2018 MPs pushing abortion rights in NI BBC News 23 July 2008 Archived from the original on 26 June 2018 Retrieved 16 March 2018 Commons Table Office House of House of Commons Amendments publications parliament uk Archived from the original on 17 March 2018 Retrieved 16 March 2018 Abbott Diane 23 July 2008 Diane Abbott A right to choose Not in Northern Ireland The Guardian Archived from the original on 5 May 2018 Retrieved 27 May 2018 Westminster Department of the Official Report Hansard House of Commons House of Commons Hansard Debates for 22 Oct 2008 pt 0007 publications parliament uk Archived from the original on 28 May 2018 Retrieved 27 May 2018 Abbott Diane 25 March 2016 British arms sales to Saudi Arabia are immoral and illegal The Guardian Archived from the original on 9 July 2016 Retrieved 2 July 2016 Williams Zoe 25 September 2020 Diane Abbott Jeremy Corbyn did his best to be nice to people and they weren t nice back The Guardian Retrieved 8 April 2021 Abbott Diane 24 June 2018 The dispossessed voted for Brexit Jeremy Corbyn offers real change The Guardian Archived from the original on 28 April 2018 Retrieved 27 April 2018 EU vote Where the cabinet and other MPs stand BBC News 22 June 2016 Archived from the original on 3 October 2017 Retrieved 27 April 2018 Diane Abbott on Labour Brexit and immigration BBC News YouTube Retrieved 1 June 2022 Merrick Rob 27 January 2017 Labour may oppose Article 50 Bill if amendments rejected Diane Abbott says The Independent London Archived from the original on 3 November 2017 Retrieved 30 August 2017 Hughes Laura 1 February 2017 Diane Abbott fails to vote in Brexit Bill debate after going home with a migraine The Telegraph Archived from the original on 2 February 2017 Retrieved 2 February 2017 Simons Ned 9 February 2017 Diane Abbott Explains Why She Voted For Brexit HuffPost UK Retrieved 1 June 2022 Stewart Heather 17 December 2017 Diane Abbott Labour does not support a second EU referendum The Guardian Retrieved 1 June 2022 Littlejohn Georgina 24 November 2018 Diane Abbott says the UK would vote Leave again if there was a second referendum inews co uk Retrieved 1 June 2022 Elgot Jessica 28 May 2019 Diane Abbott second Brexit referendum is democratic thing to do Labour The Guardian amp theguardian com Retrieved 1 June 2022 Sleigh Sophia 16 January 2019 All but eight London MPs voted against Theresa May s vision of Brexit Evening Standard Retrieved 1 June 2022 Tweet from Diane Abbott MP Twitter Retrieved 19 May 2021 Bedigan Mike 15 May 2021 Nine officers injured as missiles thrown after pro Palestine demo in London www standard co uk Retrieved 19 May 2021 Bulman May 21 June 2018 Government urged to come clean on scale of Windrush crisis as figures still withheld two months on The Independent Archived 21 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine Marsh Sarah 11 August 2018 Windrush citizens still waiting for cases to be resolved The Guardian Archived 11 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Diane Abbott Once Argued That On Balance Mao Did More Good Than Harm Huffington Post 27 November 2015 Archived from the original on 29 December 2017 Retrieved 29 December 2017 Chu Ben 29 November 2015 After the little red book was flourished in Parliament should Mao be rehabilitated The Independent Archived from the original on 30 December 2017 Retrieved 29 January 2018 Barrow Becky 3 November 2003 Abbott told ex husband to be quiet over school The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 2 June 2010 Retrieved 27 March 2010 Abbott speaks out on school row BBC News 31 October 2003 Archived from the original on 15 January 2007 Retrieved 1 November 2006 Rosen Michael December 2003 Education Dear Diane Abbott Socialist Review Archived from the original on 25 February 2007 Retrieved 1 November 2006 Abbott Diane March 2004 Education Dear Michael Rosen Socialist Review Archived from the original on 26 June 2006 Retrieved 1 November 2006 Reade Brian 21 June 2010 Diane Abbott I sent my son to private school so he wouldn t end up in a gang Daily Mirror London Archived from the original on 19 December 2018 Retrieved 19 December 2018 Tahir Tariq Ben Leapman 31 October 2003 Abbot admits decision indefensible Evening Standard Archived from the original on 30 September 2015 Retrieved 20 July 2016 Abbott s son defends going private BBC News 28 October 2003 Lightfoot Liz 29 October 2003 Public school son of Labour MP denies hypocrisy The Telegraph London Archived from the original on 18 December 2013 Retrieved 5 January 2012 House of Commons Committee on Standards and Privileges Conduct of Ms Diane Abbott Second Report of Session 2003 04 PDF Archived PDF from the original on 1 June 2010 Retrieved 20 May 2010 Ward Lucy 16 March 1999 The Guardian Profile Diane Abbott The Guardian London Archived from the original on 1 February 2017 Retrieved 11 December 2016 Rentoul John 29 November 1996 Diane Abbott is sorry For the record Miss Finland is also black The Independent Internet Archive 0111 Kivinen 7 December 1996 Diane Abbott Finland Responds The Spectator archive p 18 Archived 23 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Ward Victoria 5 January 2012 Diane Abbott no stranger to controversy The Telegraph Archived from the original on 19 December 2018 Retrieved 19 December 2018 Ridge Sophy 5 January 2012 MP Apologises After Tweet Sparks Race Row Sky News Archived from the original on 8 December 2015 Retrieved 29 November 2015 Diane Abbott on divide and rule 2012 tweet comment BBC News 20 March 2015 Archived from the original on 19 January 2019 Retrieved 17 January 2019 a b MP Diane Abbott sorry over Twitter race comments BBC News 5 January 2012 Archived from the original on 5 January 2012 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Ross Tim Matthew Holehouse 5 January 2012 Diane Abbott forced to apologise in racism row after claiming White people love playing divide and rule The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 5 October 2017 Retrieved 2 April 2018 Bowater Donna 9 January 2012 Diane Abbott will not face police action over racist tweet The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 5 October 2017 Retrieved 2 April 2018 a b Gilligan Andrew 21 May 2017 Abbott declared support for IRA defeat of Britain The Sunday Times Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 21 May 2017 subscription required Labour and Ireland Vol 2 issue 5 1984 page needed Gilligan Andrew 21 May 2017 Diane Abbott backed victory for the IRA andrewgilliganblog Archived from the original on 17 August 2017 Retrieved 21 May 2017 Osborne Samuel 28 May 2017 Diane Abbott refuses to say she regrets calling for IRA to defeat British state The Independent Archived from the original on 28 May 2017 Retrieved 28 May 2017 Griffin Jon 22 August 2013 Diane Abbott charges 1 750 for speaking to students Birmingham Post Archived from the original on 19 August 2017 Retrieved 19 August 2017 Allegretti Aubrey 15 November 2020 Diane Abbott apologises for appearing alongside Chinese human rights abuse denier Sky News Retrieved 15 November 2020 Diane Abbott s Tweet on Sasha Johnson Twitter 24 May 2021 Retrieved 2 June 2021 a b Morris James 25 May 2021 Diane Abbott denies tweet about BLM activist shot in head inflamed racial divides uk news yahoo com Retrieved 2 June 2021 Dathan Matt Mitab Ali Hamilton Fiona 26 May 2021 Diane Abbott accused of stoking racial tension over shooting of BLM activist Sasha Johnson The Times Retrieved 29 May 2021 Dale Iain 2 June 2021 Iain Dale s Diary What the BBC s Chris Mason gets right and is Dominic Cummings really advising Keir Starmer New Statesman Archived from the original on 2 June 2021 Retrieved 8 August 2021 Wearmouth Rachel 24 February 2022 11 Labour MPs threatened with suspension for signing Stop The War letter attacking NATO Mirror Retrieved 24 February 2022 Abbott Diane 14 February 2017 I fought racism and misogyny to become an MP The fight is getting harder The Guardian Archived from the original on 14 February 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Mason Rowena 19 February 2017 Diane Abbott on abuse of MPs My staff try not to let me go out alone The Guardian Archived from the original on 19 February 2017 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Peck Tom 5 September 2017 Diane Abbott received almost half of all abusive tweets sent to female MPs before election poll finds The Independent Archived from the original on 11 November 2018 Retrieved 11 November 2018 Brown David Dominic Kennedy 17 September 2015 Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott were lovers The Times Archived from the original on 25 December 2015 Retrieved 30 January 2016 Badshah Nadeem 30 January 2016 How Corbyn revealed Abbott was his lover The Times Archived from the original on 31 January 2016 Retrieved 30 January 2016 General News Diane Abbott goes to Ghana GhanaWeb 2 August 1999 Archived 22 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine Diane Abbott The First Black Woman in British Parliament www black history month co uk Archived from the original on 4 September 2015 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Riddell Mary 16 June 2010 Diane Abbott It s very lonely being a single mother The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 5 February 2011 Retrieved 2 April 2018 a b Play It Again Diane Abbott takes up the piano BBC One 22 April 2007 Archived from the original on 29 June 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Davies Gareth 23 March 2020 Diane Abbott s son admits spitting at police officer and biting his colleague outside Foreign Office The Telegraph ISSN 0307 1235 Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 Retrieved 30 July 2021 Ford Richard 2 January 2020 Diane Abbott s son James is charged over hospital assaults The Times ISSN 0140 0460 Retrieved 30 July 2021 Diane Abbott The Authorised Biography Robin Bunce Foyles Bookstore Foyles Retrieved 25 September 2020 Hussein Ece Baroness 17 October 2020 Diane Abbott The Authorised Biography the journey of a Black woman who defied the odds and made history The House Retrieved 10 February 2021 a b Today 25 09 2020 BBC Sounds www bbc co uk Retrieved 25 September 2020 Diane Abbott A Woman Like Me A Memoir Penguin ISBN 9780241536414 Retrieved 14 February 2023 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diane Abbott Wikiquote has quotations related to Diane Abbott Diane Abbott MP Official constituency website Diane Abbott The first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons Appearances on C SPAN Parliament of the United KingdomPreceded byErnie Roberts Member of Parliamentfor Hackney North and Stoke Newington1987 present IncumbentPolitical officesPreceded byGillian Merron Shadow Minister for Public Health2010 2013 Succeeded byLuciana BergerPreceded byMary Creagh Shadow Secretary of State for International Development2015 2016 Succeeded byKate OsamorPreceded byHeidi Alexander Shadow Secretary of State for Health2016 Succeeded byJon AshworthPreceded byAndy Burnham Shadow Home Secretary2016 2020 Succeeded byNick Thomas Symonds Portals Biography Politics Socialism United Kingdom Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Diane Abbott amp oldid 1145044415, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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