Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who was appointed Shadow Home Secretary in October 2016. She was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington at the 1987 general election, when she became the first black woman to hold a seat in the House of Commons.
Born in Paddington, London, Abbott studied History at Newnham College, Cambridge University. She worked in the Civil Service and as a reporter for Thames Television and TV-am before becoming a press officer for the Greater London Council. Abbott was elected to Westminster City Council in 1982. She unsuccessfully stood in the 2010 Labour leadership election, and was later appointed as Shadow Minister for Public Health by Ed Miliband. She also unsuccessfully attempted to be the Labour candidate for the 2016 London mayoral election.
Abbott supported Jeremy Corbyn in his bid to become leader, and was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. After multiple resignations in the Shadow Cabinet, she was promoted to Shadow Health Secretary, and further promoted to Shadow Home Secretary after Andy Burnham left to contest the Manchester Mayoral election. Following a series of poor interviews in the run-up to the 2017 election, Abbott was temporarily replaced as Shadow Home Secretary by Lyn Brown. After the election, Abbott revealed that she suffered from type 2 diabetes, saying that it had affected her performance. With her condition back under control, she returned to her position.
Abbott is seen as being on the left of the Labour Party and has voted against the party on several occasions, voting against the Iraq War, the introduction of ID cards and the renewal of Britain's nuclear deterrent. She has appeared frequently in the media, featuring in Have I Got News for You, and other programmes.
“I think politicians complaining about the media is like sailors complaining about the weather.”
Diane Abbott: 'I'm back to fighting fitness' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40338820 BBC News (20 June 2017)
2010s, 2017
“White people love playing ‘divide & rule’. We should not play their game.”
Twitter post reproduced in Daily Telegraph, 5 Jan 2012 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/8994068/Diane-Abbott-White-people-love-playing-divide-and-rule.html
2010s, 2012
“On balance Mao did more good than harm.”
On BBC One's This Week during a debate over who was the history's worst dictator. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/27/diane-abbott-said-on-balance-mao-did-more-good-than-harm_n_8660910.html (27/11/2015)
2010s, 2015
Independent, 18 January 1994.
1990s, 1994
Met Police 'use force more often' against black people https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44214748 BBC News (24 May 2018)
2010s, 2018
“I will argue for the right of the electorate to vote on any deal that is finally agreed.”
Diane Abbott: Listen to CBI and NHS' on Brexit migration https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42384346 BBC News (17 December 2017)
2010s, 2017
Diane Abbott in Jersey for Women in Politics talk https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-28044487 BBC News (1 July 2014)
2010s, 2014
Diane Abbott to warn of British 'masculinity crisis' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22530184 BBC News (15 May 2013)
2010s, 2013
“I put being a mother ahead of being a politician.”
Profile: Diane Abbott https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10276583 BBC News (5 January 2012)
2010s, 2012
Cuts could damage race relations, warns Diane Abbott https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11295557 BBC News (14 September 2010)
2010s, 2010
“Another vote would be the democratic thing to do to move Brexit forward.”
Brexit: Labour still split over further referendum https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48431558 BBC News (28 May 2019)
2010s, 2019
Diane Abbott: Listen to CBI and NHS' on Brexit migration https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42384346 BBC News (17 December 2017)
2010s
Diane Abbott: Listen to CBI and NHS' on Brexit migration https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42384346 BBC News (17 December 2017)
2010s
