In the Parliament, she said, “And I can’t speak about the increased numbers of female members of Parliament without referencing my predecessor Baroness Harriet Harman, who did so much work to have an equal and diverse House.”
She congratulated new Members of Parliament, telling them it is a great job and they will never regret coming here.Recalling her time as MP, the Mother of the House said that the MPs just gave her a bunch of keys and told her to get on with it.
Who is Diane Abbott?
Born in London in 1953, Diane Abbott attended Harrow County Grammar School before obtaining a Master’s degree in history from Newnham College, Cambridge. After Cambridge, she began her career as a Home Office civil servant and later worked for the National Council for Civil Liberties. Abbott transitioned into journalism, working as a freelancer and reporter for TV-AM and Thames Television, and also served as a public relations consultant.
In 2008, Abbott was awarded the Spectator/Threadneedle Speech of the Year Award and a Human Rights Award from Liberty. She founded the London Schools and the Black Child initiative to raise educational achievement levels among Black children.
Elected to Parliament in 1987, Abbott has been a vocal advocate for global justice, human rights, and race relations. She served on the Labour Party’s National Executive and various select committees. Re-elected in 2015, she held positions as Shadow Secretary for International Development, Health, and Home Secretary. Abbott also chairs the British-Caribbean and Sickle Cell and Thalassemia APPGs.