Diane Abbott

MA (Cantab) (NC 1973)

College roles

Honorary Fellow (2025)

Biography

The Rt Hon Diane Abbott MP is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987. She was the first black woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament and is the longest-serving black MP. In 2024, she took up the role of Mother of the House, as the longest-serving female MP in the new Parliament.

Diane came up to Newnham to read History in 1973. She then worked for the Civil Service and as a journalist and broadcaster in London. Her first venture into politics was as a Councillor in Westminster, before she was elected as an MP in 1987. She has been re-elected in every General Election since.

During her parliamentary career, Diane has served as Shadow Minister (Public Health) (2010-2013), Shadow Secretary of State for International Development (2015-2016), Shadow Secretary of State for Health (2016), and Shadow Home Secretary (2016-2020). She became a member of the Privy Council in 2017. She has also served on the Treasury Select Committee, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, the Home Affairs Select Committee, and the Justice Select Committee.

Diane has chaired the All-Party Parliamentary British-Caribbean Group and the All-Party Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Group. She is the founder of the London Schools and the Black Child Initiative, which aims to raise the educational achievement levels of black children.

During her distinguished career as a parliamentarian, broadcaster and commentator, Diane has championed global justice, human rights, and peace and security issues at home and abroad. She has been a vocal campaigner on race-relations, transparency and justice around policing, surveillance, Stop and Search, and detainment without trial.

Recognition for her work has been widespread. Diane’s speech on civil liberties, in the debate on the Counter-Terrorism Bill, 2008 won The Spectator / Threadneedle Speech of the Year Award and a Human Rights Award from Liberty. In 2015, she was shortlisted for the Grassroot Diplomat Initiative Award for her work on London Schools and the Black Child. In 2018, Diane was named on the Evening Standard’s list of 14 inspirational black British women throughout history. Diane was named on the Diversity Power List 2022/2023 as a champion of diversity and inclusion across the UK.

Her memoir A Woman Like Me was published in 2024.

The status of Honorary Fellow was conferred upon The Rt Hon Diane Abbott MP on 20 June 2025.