All articles written by Diane Abbott MP on PoliticsHome.com

18 Jul Books & culture

Although written in a slightly strained format, Andy Beckett has overall produced an honest and balanced history of Labour’s radical left

31 May Political parties

Black Londoners “Really Hurt” By Diane Abbott Row

Labour's parliamentary candidate for Camberwell and Peckham, Miatta Fahnbulleh, has said voters in the area's Black community are “really hurt” by a row between Labour's leadership and Diane Abbott over whether she should be able to stand for the party in Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

31 May Political parties

Labour Leadership Disappointed By “Unwelcome Distraction” Of Diane Abbott Row

The Labour leadership is disappointed by the way that the row over longtime MP Diane Abbott’s candidacy has become an “unwelcome distraction”, PoliticsHome understands.

29 May Political parties

Local Figures Line Up To Succeed Diane Abbott As Labour Candidate

Keir Starmer has declared that no decision has been made to bar Diane Abbott from being a Labour candidate at the 4 July general election. However, PoliticsHome understands that there are several local figures in the mix to succeed her as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

28 May Political parties

Diane Abbott Given Whip Back After Labour Front Benchers "Spitting Venom" Over Her Treatment

The decision to restore the Labour whip to Diane Abbott came after a number of front benchers were "spitting venom" over their party leadership's treatment of her, PoliticsHome understands.

13 Mar Social affairs

“Talking about ‘white privilege’ tends to polarise views”: Understanding ethnicity and politics

The Gaza conflict is the latest issue to increase the noise around politics and ethnicity, but Sunder Katwala calls for a more sophisticated understanding of how they interact

12 Mar Political parties

Government Adviser Says Tories Should “Cut Ties” With Donor Over Race Row

The government's independent adviser on antisemitism has said the Conservatives should "cut ties" with its biggest donor who reportedly made racist remarks about MP Diane Abbott.

12 Mar Political parties

Tory Unease Over Party's Donor Race Row Response Is Growing

Fresh discontent is brewing among Conservatives over Downing Street's response to the party's biggest donor reportedly making racist remarks about black MP Diane Abbott.

24 Jul 2023 Political parties

The Other History Makers

The 1987 general election saw the first post-war MPs of colour elected: a moment hailed as watershed moment for diversity in politics. But what happened to those who stood, but weren’t elected? Seun Matiluko tracks some of them down and asks: what happened next? Photography by Baldo Sciacca

17 Jul 2023 Books & culture

A poignant and wonderful film: Diane Abbott reviews 'Barrel Children'

An extensively researched and moving account of the children of the Windrush generation separated from their parents, Nadine White has delivered a great film debut

23 Apr 2023 Political parties

Diane Abbott Loses Labour Whip After Racism Comments

Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has had the Labour whip removed after she appeared to compare racism against Jewish people to prejudice experienced by people with red hair.

22 Mar 2023 Home affairs

Toxic Met Police should be broken up if immediate reform cannot address systemic failings

The problems with the Metropolitan Police as set out in the Casey Review are horrifying. It is unable to police itself; is failing women and children; has fundamentally withdrawn from neighbourhood policing and is still disfigured by racism, misogyny and homophobia.

24 Sep 2022 Political parties

My Labour Manifesto: Our 'Peace and Prosperity' manifesto should offer radical solutions

Only an investment-led recovery can deliver the prosperity we need to fund the NHS and all our public services

12 Sep 2022 Home affairs

MP Says Suspending Officer Who Fatally Shot Unarmed Black Man Would Signal Change In Police

MPs challenged the new chief of the Metropolitan Police to signal a willingness to improve relations with London’s black community under his leadership by suspending the officer who fatally shot unarmed man Chris Kaba last Monday.

06 Sep 2022 Home affairs

Priti Patel’s departure is an opportunity to ditch her failed immigration policies

The departure of Priti Patel from the Home Office as home secretary is a good thing in itself.

29 Jun 2022 Home affairs

What Does It Mean That The Met Police Have Been Placed In ‘Special Measures’?

The police watchdog Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has announced they will place Britain’s largest police force – the Metropolitan Police – into special measures following a string of high-profile incidents and “systemic” failings.

16 Jun 2022 Home affairs

The Rwanda scheme is wrong – the British courts should strike it down completely

The government’s plan to dump asylum seekers in Rwanda is teetering on the edge of collapse.

24 Mar 2022 Home affairs

The police strip-searched Child Q because they thought they could get away with it – those involved must face consequences

The strip search of a 15-year-old Hackney school girl has horrified people all over the country and nowhere more so than my constituency of Hackney.

08 Mar 2022 Communities

TRAILBLAZER: Black women are put off public life by the level of racism and sexism we face

The first day entering Parliament after being elected in 1987 felt both momentous and unreal. I was greeted by Lord David Pitt, himself of Caribbean origin. There are photographs of us embracing. It was symbolic.

02 Feb 2022 Home affairs

A culture of misogyny and racism has existed in the Met police for too long – Cressida Dick must go

The culture of the Metropolitan police and what that means for the way they do the job has been the subject of public concern for many decades.

31 Jan 2022 Home affairs

Downing Street Pledges to Publish Updated Sue Gray Report When Police Investigation Completes

Number 10 has committed to publishing further details of Sue Gray's investigation into allegations of parties in Downing Street after the Met Police has completed their own inquiry into the matter.

01 Sep 2021 Education

It’s time we had a national education initiative for Black African and Caribbean students

We are calling on the Department for Education to tackle anti-Black racism at its core. This goes beyond what students are being taught in the classroom to the way the institution functions.

07 May 2021 Political parties

Labour Left Calls On Leadership To Urgently Change Direction After Devastating Hartlepool By-Election Defeat

Keir Starmer needs to rapidly change direction to win back voters, according to those on Labour's left-wing, as they begin dissecting the catastrophic loss in the Hartlepool by-election and losses on English councils.

16 Apr 2021 Health

Our healthcare system is failing pregnant black women – government must take action

It is alarming that black women are four times more likely than white women to die in pregnancy and childbirth. We need a strategy to deal with this problem.

21 Mar 2021 Education

We have made progress on tackling racism in the education system, but we must do more

When Diane Abbott was in school, the idea of a Black girl performing well shocked her teachers. Now, she is launching the APPG for Race Equality in Education to ensure progress continues

06 Mar 2021 Political parties

Sexist insults, abuse, death threats: expect all this and more as a female MP

Many women in Westminster endure a culture of intimidation and harassment as part of the job. Is this the price they must pay to represent their community? Radhika Sanghani reports

17 Oct 2020 Political parties

Diane Abbott, The Authorised Biography: the journey of a Black woman who defied the odds and made history

Robin Bunce and Samara Linton have produced an enormously detailed and important political biography of Diane Abbott, Britain’s first Black woman MP. Just don’t expect to read much about her personal life…

13 Jun 2020 Political parties

‘Power concedes nothing without demand’ – black MPs on the ongoing struggle for equality

Racial equality has come a long way since the first black MPs were elected 33 years ago this week. But as Black Lives Matter forces us to confront difficult questions about our past and our future, Sebastian Whale hears from MPs about their experiences of racism in modern Britain and their hopes of achieving lasting change

07 Jun 2020 Social affairs

Labour needs a welfare policy that reflects the modern world – not a return to the outdated ‘contributory’ principle

This crisis is a moment to create a welfare system based on solidarity and empathy. We must not return to the language of the ‘deserving and undeserving poor’

31 May 2020 Foreign affairs

Dominic Raab says it would be a ‘distraction’ to cast verdict on Donald Trump’s handling of George Floyd death

It would be a “media distraction” to give a verdict on how Donald Trump has handled the death of a black man in police custody, Dominic Raab has said.

30 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

Keir Starmer urged to take action against Diane Abbott over Zoom call with Labour members expelled in anti-semitism row

Keir Starmer is being urged to take stronger action against Diane Abbott after she addressed a meeting with activists expelled from Labour amid its long-running anti-semitism crisis.

01 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

From migrant workers to free broadband, coronavirus has shown that Corbynism is needed

The Government was warned about what would happen when we faced a pandemic – the current crisis facing our NHS is the result of decades of putting profit before people.

11 Oct 2019 Political parties

Commons Diary: Diane Abbott

"Until you have had to do it, you cannot truly appreciate how scary it is to address a packed House of Commons at PMQs."

22 Sep 2019 Home affairs

You can’t expect coup plotters to uphold the law or promote order

The wider effects of Tory cuts have exacerbated the causes of crime. We need a genuine end to austerity as well as a well-resourced police force, writes Diane Abbott MP

03 May 2019 Economy

We are all still living with Thatcher’s legacy – for now

Margaret Thatcher’s legacy is one of rising inequality, ruthless de-industrialisation and decimated communities. It’s an economic model past its sell-by date, writes Diane Abbott

21 Jan 2019 Brexit

Tory idea of fairness is to treat EU citizens almost as badly as Windrush ones

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott says the Government's approach towards EU citizens risks damaging good-will with the EU member states and is a 'huge act of self-harm'.