Diane Abbott has announced she intends to “run and win” as a Labour candidate at the General Election – ending days of speculation over whether or not she will stand.
The 70-year-old made history when became the first Black Member of Parliament in 1987, and has remained a major figure in the Labour party ever since.
She is typically associated with the left of the party and has taken a prominent role in progressive causes such as race, human rights and the anti-war movement, occasionally going against her own party in the process.
Her recent suspension from the Labour party over an antisemitism row saw some doubts emerge over whether she will return to fight her seat on July 4, but she is now set to be confirmed by the party on Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know about Diane Abbott’s life, relationship with the Labour party and her voting record:
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Early years and meeting Jeremy Corbyn
Diane was born in London in 1953 and attended the Harrow County grammar school. She went on to study at Newnham College Cambridge, where she obtained a Masters degree in history.
Afterwards she worked at the Home Office as a civil servant before eventually moving into journalism, including a stint as a reporter for TV-AM and Thames Television. Diane also took a keen interest in the main political issues of the day, and spent some time with the National Council for Civil Liberties lobby group. In the late 1970s she first met future Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and they had a brief relationship before becoming lifelong friends.
Labour’s trailblazer and voting record
In 1987 Diane Abbott was hailed as a “trailblazer” when she became the first Black woman to be elected the Houses of Parliament. She has since won every election in her Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency.
Diane has been one of the party’s most identifiable figures on the issues of human rights, race relations and police transparency, memorably speaking out against stop and search practices and detainment without trial. She also served on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and voted against Tony Blair’s Labour government in the 2000s over the Iraq War and identity cards. Her recent Parliamentary record has seen her vote ‘no’ on a wave of divisive Government legislation, including Safety of Rwanda bill, the Illegal Migration Bill and the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) bill, which forces striking workers in some sectors to provide a minimum level of service.
After a three-year stint as Shadow Education Secretary under Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader in 2015 saw Diane return to Labour’s frontbenches. She was appointed Shadow Secretary for International Development in September that year.
Diane became Shadow Health Secretary for in June 2016, and was the first Black female Shadow Home Secretary until April 2020. She also chaired the British-Caribbean All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the all-parliamentary grouping for Sickle Cell and Thalassemia.
Suspension from party and return
Diane Abbott was suspended by Labour in April last year after a letter to The Observer saw her suggest Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism. She apologised shortly after, but the investigation into her conduct lasted for more than a year.
It was reported last week by BBC Newsnight that the party’s probe had concluded in December, and Ms Abbott had done anti-Semitism training in February but no decision over her candidacy had been taken. She was given the whip back at the end of May, but hostile briefings appeared in newspapers suggesting she would be blocked from standing – sparking confusion and conflict within the party.
After a major intervention by Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, Keir Starmer confirmed she on Friday that she was “free to go forward as a Labour candidate”. Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey told BBC 5 Live on Monday morning that Diane Abbott’s selection for her Hackney North & Stoke Newington seat “should be rubber-stamped tomorrow” by the party’s NEC, in line with all other candidates for the party at the General Election.