Diane Abbott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diane Abbott
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Mother of the House | |
| Assumed office 5 July 2024 |
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| Speaker | Lindsay Hoyle |
| Preceded by | Harriet Harman (de-facto) |
| Shadow Home Secretary | |
| In office 6 October 2016 – 4 April 2020 |
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| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Andy Burnham |
| Succeeded by | Nick Thomas-Symonds |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Health | |
| In office 27 June 2016 – 6 October 2016 |
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| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Heidi Alexander |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Ashworth |
| Shadow Secretary of State for International Development | |
| In office 13 September 2015 – 27 June 2016 |
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| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Mary Creagh |
| Succeeded by | Kate Osamor |
| Shadow Minister for Public Health | |
| In office 9 October 2010 – 8 October 2013 |
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| Leader | Ed Miliband |
| Preceded by | Anne Milton |
| Succeeded by | Luciana Berger |
| Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington |
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| Assumed office 11 June 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Ernie Roberts |
| Majority | 15,090 (36.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Diane Julie Abbott
27 September 1953 Paddington, London, England |
| Political party | Labour (suspended) |
| Spouse |
David Ayensu-Thompson
(m. 1991; div. 1993) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Newnham College, Cambridge (BA) |
Diane Julie Abbott (born 27 September 1953) is a British politician who made history in 1987 by becoming the first black woman elected to the UK Parliament. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for the London area of Hackney North and Stoke Newington ever since.
In 2024, she became the longest-serving female MP, earning the special title of Mother of the House. Throughout her career, she has been a leading voice in the Labour Party, speaking out on issues of fairness and equality. She currently sits as an independent MP after being suspended from the Labour Party.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Diane Abbott was born in Paddington, London, in 1953. Her parents came to the UK from Jamaica. Her father was a welder and her mother was a nurse.
She was a bright student and attended Harrow County School for Girls. After that, she went to the famous University of Cambridge, where she studied history. One of her teachers there was the well-known historian Simon Schama.
Career Before Politics
After university, Abbott worked in several interesting jobs. She worked for the government's Home Office and then for the National Council for Civil Liberties, where she was a Race Relations Officer.
She also worked in television as a researcher and reporter for Thames Television and TV-am. Before becoming an MP, she worked in public relations for local government in London.
In the 1980s, Abbott was part of a group called the Labour Party Black Sections. This group worked to get more people of African, Caribbean, and Asian backgrounds involved in politics.
A Long Career in Parliament
In the 1987 general election, Diane Abbott was elected to Parliament. This was a historic moment, as she became the first black woman ever to become an MP in the United Kingdom. She has won every election in her area since then, showing that she is very popular with the people she represents.
As an MP, Abbott has served on many important committees that look at social issues and international affairs. She has also held several senior roles in the Labour Party when it was in opposition. These are called "shadow" roles, where she was responsible for checking the work of the government ministers.
In 2008, she won an award for a speech she gave in Parliament about protecting people's freedoms. She also started a project called "London Schools and the Black Child" to help black students do better in school.
Mother of the House
After the 2024 general election, Diane Abbott became the "Mother of the House." This is an honorary title given to the woman who has been an MP for the longest continuous time.
In her first speech with this title, she welcomed new MPs to Parliament. She noted that when she started in 1987, there were only 40 female MPs, but in 2024 there were 264. The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and the Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, both praised her for her long service.
Important Roles and Campaigns
Over the years, Abbott has been a key figure in the Labour Party. In 2010, she ran to be the leader of the party. Although she didn't win, she became a Shadow Minister for Public Health.
When her close friend Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader in 2015, he gave her several top jobs. She served as Shadow Secretary for International Development, Shadow Health Secretary, and finally, Shadow Home Secretary. The Home Secretary is one of the most important jobs in government, responsible for things like policing and immigration. As Shadow Home Secretary, Abbott's job was to challenge the government's policies in these areas.
2017 General Election
The 2017 election campaign was a difficult time for Abbott. She made mistakes in some television and radio interviews when asked about the cost of Labour's plans.
She later explained that she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2015. During the busy campaign, her health was affected, which made it hard for her to perform at her best. After taking a short break, she returned to her role as Shadow Home Secretary.
Suspensions from the Labour Party
In April 2023, Abbott was suspended from the Labour Party. This happened after she wrote a letter to The Observer newspaper about racism. In the letter, she suggested that Jewish people, Irish people, and Travellers do not experience racism in the same way that black people do.
Her comments caused a lot of upset. Abbott quickly apologised and said the letter was a draft that was sent by mistake. She stated, "Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others."
The Labour Party investigated her comments. In May 2024, the party whip was restored to her, meaning she was a Labour MP again. For a short time, it was unclear if she would be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate in the next election, but the party leader, Keir Starmer, confirmed she was free to do so.
In July 2025, Abbott was suspended from the Labour Party for a second time. This happened after she repeated similar comments about racism in a BBC interview. She now sits in Parliament as an independent MP.
Political Views
Diane Abbott is known for having strong beliefs and sometimes disagreeing with her party's official position.
- War and Defence: She voted against the Iraq War and is against the UK having nuclear weapons.
- Civil Liberties: She is a strong defender of people's rights and freedoms and has spoken out against government policies she believes threaten them.
- European Union: She voted against the Maastricht Treaty, an important step in the creation of the EU. However, she supported staying in the EU during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
- Windrush Scandal: She strongly criticised the government over the Windrush scandal, where people from the Caribbean who had lived in the UK for decades were wrongly treated as illegal immigrants. She demanded that the government be open about how many people were affected.
Personal Life
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In the late 1970s, Abbott had a brief relationship with Jeremy Corbyn, who would later become the leader of the Labour Party.
She was married to David Ayensu-Thompson from 1991 to 1993, and they have one son, James.
Abbott has many interests outside of politics. In 2007, she learned to play the piano for a BBC television show called Play It Again. She is also a regular commentator on TV and in newspapers. In 2020, she published her biography, and in 2024, she released a memoir called A Woman Like Me.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout her long career, Diane Abbott has received many awards for her work.
- 2008: Won "Speech of the Year" from The Spectator magazine for a speech on civil liberties.
- 2017: Named "Icon of the Year" at the Diversity in Media Awards.
- 2020: Voted one of the "100 Great Black Britons".
- 2024: Gained the title "Mother of the House" for being the longest-serving female MP.
