Diane Abbott on death threats, being suspended and what she really thinks about Keir Starmer

Labour MP Diane Abbott has accused Sir Keir Starmer of treating her as a "non-person" during the row over racist comments made about her by a Tory donor Frank Hester.
Abbott said the comments, which emerged in March, made her feel in danger - and she had expected "more support" from her party.
In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Abbott also claimed her suspension from Labour last year over alleged antisemitic comments was a "move against me", as Sir Keir Starmer wanted to "finish his clear out of the Labour left".
‘A Woman Like Me’ by Diane Abbott is published by Viking on 19 September
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[@taliquetaylor8039]

I'm sure the comments here will be totally normal and good-faith!

[@tomlangford1999]

The way she was treated by the ghouls currently running the country was despicable, trying to oust the first Black Woman in Parliament to gift one of their lackies a safe seat.

[@Andyc18]

Crazy that she's 70 now! She doesn't look it.

[@Dogfacedbloke]

I think 70 is her IQ, not her age.

[@Coco-uk9tv]

​@@DogfacedblokeThere's also a few.......

[@clivet3252]

She's looking well. She's lost some weight, got a nice wig, she sounds like the confident person who was on This Week. She seems to have come through it a stronger person.

[@p.1019]

@@Dogfacedbloke And yours, apparently! 😆😁

[@DFandV]

Black don't crack

[@keepingitrealandtruthful.5081]

This lady, the mother of the house is a pioneer. She has worked extremely hard to get to where she is today.

[@---df5sr]

😂 nice one

[@archiebald4717]

Ha ha!

[@001tgc]

I disagree with DA on some of her policies and also her style at times, but it is undeniable that DA is a trailblazer and deserving of recognition and the nations respect. I stopped voting for Labour and her treatment was part of the reason!

[@denzel270]

Diane 'Chairman Mao did more good than harm' Abbot is deserving our our respect?

[@archiebald4717]

Ha ha! She is as thick as mince!

[@inksterinky9820]

Spot on Diane 's, ' if i was anti Jewish my tens of thousands of constituents would have spotted it over the last 37 years' 🌹

[@---df5sr]

They have spotted it. Thats why they voted for her

[@michaelbullen4146]

She is a very rare thing, a principaled politician a very rare thing nowadays, she brings honour to being a Starmer reject.

[@archiebald4717]

@@michaelbullen4146 What? Principled? Really?

[@michaelbullen4146]

Well, more principled than the other low life's scurrying about in the House of Commons, tell me, is your obvious dislike of her because of an assessment of her capabilities, or just good old fashioned racism?

[@headgirlblues]

Diane Abbott's constituents came out for her, as she has turned out for them all these decades. The PMQs where she was ignored by the Speaker whilst others spouted grand words about her situation was symbolic of a larger problem, both in and out of Parliament.

[@robertgrimshaw9036]

Her constituents would vote for a brick if it had a Labour rosette on then again its a toss up who is more intelligent her or the brick

[@headgirlblues]

@@robertgrimshaw9036 Yet she's managed to do so much more than you all these years.

[@callyyeadon2653]

@@robertgrimshaw9036 unconscious remai

[@robertgrimshaw9036]

@@headgirlblues tell me what she has done and l will tell you what l have done how's that?

[@robertgrimshaw9036]

@@callyyeadon2653 unconscious what?

[@rosemarycuthbert4623]

I watched it couldn't believe the number of times she was ignored by Hoyle. Well done Stephen Flynn

[@Davao420]

This is shocking, I had no idea racism was so accepted in the UK, imagine an MP saying something like that about her

[@radleysmith7528]

Does her son still have behaviour issues. I understand he pleaded guilty to 12 assaults and racially aggravated criminal damage and exposing himself

[@franwilby1254]

Love Diane Abbott, such a beautiful and intelligent lady. She will always rise above any gutter behaviour. God bless her 🙏❤️

[@ephebo2028]

🤣

[@denzel270]

Intelligent?! Diane 'Chairman Mao did more good than harm' Abbot is deserving our our respect?

[@jonathanwhite5640]

I NOW THINK THEY SET UP Ms ABBOTT.ON THE MEDIA SHE IA EXTREEMLY ARTICULATE AND INFOR,ATIVE,BRAVO A TORY/REFORM VOTER .BUT SHE`sgot my VOTE 100%

[@rosemarycuthbert4623]

Appalling treatment by Starmer el al

[@thejoin4687]

Abbot and Portillo were a class act on This Week.

[@archiebald4717]

Yeah, she was hilarious!

[@SFRZRD]

Shockingly - you’re actually right

[@tarik5897]

"how could you say that about Jewish people" is one hell of an insane thing to take away from that essay Jesus. and to say that it was antisemitic. when Jews mention there experiences and don't mention black discrimination are they being racist too??

[@rosemarycuthbert4623]

I think she made a good point

[@noramartin96]

a very good respectful interview Victoria

[@Nick-uu8yo]

If you find it difficult then you would of voted against it, have some balls.

[@Sthmohtwenty]

Balls wouldt block danger ....she knew what she is doing

[@andrewbarnes8650]

Diane Simply the best.. If you want to know about racism and discrimination bring your kids to the park around Stanford hill, Finsbury Park Manor house and you will see the discrimination and segregation

[@Mike_5]

Diane Abbott was at the peak of her career when she used to appear on Andrew Neil's BBC show and would get her point across without any doubt but well worth watching

[@marcd303]

Are you kidding? She showed what a joke she is on that programme, inaccurate, offensive, ignorant. The list goes on. She's had control of her constituency for decades and its a knife ridden, crime addled shat hole.

[@robertgrimshaw9036]

The one were she said Mao was good for the Chinese people lm not sure who is a bigger idiot her or Lammy

[@SheilaP-c5r]

Thank you to Diane Abbott for her comments about how she has been shafted by the Labour party. It was unbelievable to see her wanting to speak in the debate about the incident, and not being allowed to speak! Can I please add to Diane's mention of Irish people facing preduice. As an Irish woman living in England can I please add some of my experience. Unlike Dianne and her son and so many others others I look ," normal" in the streets." But if I rang up about something, they could tell immediately that I was Irish. Of course some African/ West African people are " Sorted Out" at this stage too. But when my daughte who is English,r lwas at university over 20 years ago, she found a good hairdresser, snd suggested that I use them the next time I come down. I did that and booked an appointment by phone. A few minutes later, they phoned me to "check that I was a real person," I enquired whether this was their normal practice. And they replied that of course it was. Their head office didn't seem to agree! Much though as I agree with Diane on her prejudice as she walks down the street, snd as much as I admire. what sha has amazingly achieved, spare a thought for those of us who are not so evidently, other I phoned thelr head office back to ask what their policy was and understood that this was not their usual policy . Id

[@perryvalton3296]

Iconic as all other black queens.

[@faffrin5216]

Great to see Diane looking so cool and in control since surviving Starmer's dispicable attempt to purge her in disgrace. They can't touch her now so she's able to be much more honest in her criticisms and truly hold them to account. I love to see it!

[@MrPoetemaudit]

Undoubtedly one of the greatest women in the modern era of British politics: courageous, principled and indomitable. The world desperately needs people like her. If she decides not to continue into the next Parliament, the country will miss her.

[@archiebald4717]

Ha ha!

[@Larpeggio]

wow she lost a lot of weight, good for her.

[@martycrow]

I'm puzzeld as to why DA didn't go Independent like Corbyn and others. It would have been more consistent and admirable. Instead she fought tooth and nail to be the Labour candidate. I've know her from the time she was first elected so this is not a hostile comment.

[@Agnelum1]

I think part of it is that she's a Labour MP and has always been a Labour MP - longer than some of those who are pushing her out - so why should she leave the party especially over fabricated nonsense? They wanted to make life unbearable for her in the party so as to force her out then they could say "Well look, Diane Abbott decided to leave..." As some journalists had put to the party, why was it taking a year to investigate her? Why not kick her out of the party if she was guilty of something? If she had left, then Labour could put someone to stand against her in Hackney and they wouldn't have to fund her campaign - it's very difficult to stand as an independent because of the cost.

[@jujutrini8412]

I’m also puzzled about this. I think she has a fierce loyalty towards the labour movement and is hopeful that the Labour Party will go back to its roots. I think that is wishful thinking.

[@Agnelum1]

@@jujutrini8412 Strange, I replied a few hours ago but my comment now isn't showing here. But to add to what I had said, there's another interview with ITV News (uploaded yesterday) where Diane Abbott says "They were determined to get rid of me the way they got rid of Jeremy Corbyn" so that seems to support what I'd said about why she fought back rather than just surrender and leave the party.

[@martycrow]

@@jujutrini8412 I can understand the reasoning you suggest. But if you analyse Abbot's comments for the last 2 or so years, there was almost nothing in support of post-Corbyn Labour. She would have been better off going to the Lords, keeping her 'independence', having much less work but drawing an allowance while maintaining a public presence. Her Commons seat is the worst of all worlds.

[@jujutrini8412]

@@martycrow I thought she was going to be offered a seat in the Lords also but it seems that Keir is too petty to do that! Instead he had to be sneaky and try to humiliate her for no good reason. I suspect her race and class consciousness has something to do with that. I tell you now though, black people are looking at the Labour Party very differently to how they used to look at it before all this happened.

[@AndrogyneMichinaga]

Thank you Newsnigh t.

[@martycrow]

I respect Diane Abbot, but put that to one side. PMQs operate on a strange protocol and the order and speakers are predetermined, however spontaneous it might look: backbenchers are called after party leaders. Nevertheless, the Speaker could have made an exception, not least because he has not only the power to, but also has done it before.

[@yamadakenji4143]

She was right for not taking that call. An MP publically says you should be shot and then rings up to say "Oops, I think I went a bit overboard there ...". What a ridiculously frivilous way of thinking.

[@blueybarnes9442]

Diane Abacus 🧮

[@bashirhersi2829]

Keir Starmer tried to remove Diane Abbott because he doesn't like her , ,,

[@moldyolddough1]

It won't be long before the citizens of this country will want to remove him for the same reason!

[@jamescooke6032]

It is a net vote winner to get rid of her. Most people see her as an incompetent person in a safe seat.

[@moldyolddough1]

@@jamescooke6032 Most ignorant people do, for sure.

[@jamescooke6032]

@@moldyolddough1 sure.. But on a national level. I'm pretty sure it won more votes than it lost

[@rosemarycuthbert4623]

New Tory party

[@Minimmalmythicist]

I´ve often thought that we should just have a higher state pension, instead of all this stuff like pension credit and the winter fuel allowance, that´s how they do it in Europe.

[@jujutrini8412]

They need to penny pinch the pensioners so that they can afford to give away our money to multinational lobbies like the fuel industry etc. One of the bonuses of penny pinching towards pensioners is that it will reduce the number of pensioners. 😢

[@radleysmith7528]

How does Diane feel about the potential for pensioners freezing to death this winter

[@archiebald4717]

She is hilarious!

[@janeday9148]

Starmer is proving to be unfit for the role of Priminister for a number of reasons not least his arrogance & his disconnect with working people

[@petemarchetto4998]

The way I saw the suspension period - paying as I was particular attention to Faiza Shaheen - Shaheen was rarely mentioned in the press save in conjunction with Abbott. For a while there they maintained strategic ambiguity on Abbott's future. I think yes, the original intent was to get rid of her. But they then had that 'Will they, won't they' period in which purges were successfully conducted but focus was still maintained on Abbott. Thus when they reinstated her, the purge was largely complete but Abbott's reinstatement led to a 'nothing to see here' mentality in the press. It was a clever, successful, and ugly manoeuvre. Re-elected now on her own terms and the battle won, I think Abbott will leave the party but again, even if expelled, on her own terms. I doubt she has any intention of running again, so she can spend her time still within the party getting payback and exposing Starmer's treatment of the left using her platform as an MP whether inside the party (for now) or outside it (later). I think the Labour neoliberal wing got most of what it wanted out of the shenanigans strategically, but I think Abbott has everything she wanted.

[@jujutrini8412]

Keir Starmer is a despicable person.

[@samanthah712]

Diane Abbott is a brilliant MP. I wish she was mine.

[@jujutrini8412]

Diane looks very well and healthy. Good for her.

[@oliverwilson7903]

Dianne Abbott is a legend

[@SanTa-wk4ld]

Keir Starmer will never get my vote, that's for sure

[@denzel270]

Diane 'Chairman Mao did more good than harm' Abbot?

[@markstreet3301]

She is amazing. An example to us all 💜💜

[@johnmicallef2627]

No one on earth should be shot or threatened to be shot even for being one of the worst politician ever but brilliant in representing Diane abbot

[@perryvalton3296]

So why didn't she take him to court regarding the statement he made about her.

[@pettermatthews3413]

Best Home Secretary we never had . . .

[@denzel270]

Thank god we didn't

[@Peaceman1.]

FREE palestine Sea to river and Land from apartheid Israel apartheid

[@Tom-box1]

People can tell when you walk down the street if you are from the travelling community Diane

[@jseumed]

you can't ignore that some people can "pass" in certain conditions and some people can't. colourism exists and colour is real, even though it shouldn't be. that's what she was trying to say and either you get it or you don't. she shouldn't have said it because it had the effect of undermining passing peoples' struggles, and she's apologised, but if those passing people can't acknowledge that they have certain privileges in certain conditions, then they're no better than what they're accusing Diane of, which is to undermine the struggle.

[@Coco-uk9tv]

​@@jseumedWell said.

[@Sthmohtwenty]

Get d violin out 4 u abbot...u very well known what uk political ness is all about ....

[@Micheal-Knight-]

She wouldn't condemm Mao.....

[@Shalom491]

Typical of some journalists, they conceal their sources of information it eager for the interviewee to reveal her own sources of info or informants. Then they publish that within minutes and cause unnecessary anxiety and unwanted attention.

[@jonathanwhite5640]

WOW! Ms Abbott, has got my VOTE!!! AND I VOTED REFORM UK,✝

[@Peaceman1.]

FREE palestine Sea to river and Land

[@bp-lx7lf]

Diane Abbott - Undermining the Labour movement since 1987

[@jseumed]

I don't think you know what the labour movement is meant to mean

[@Simon53188]

What a melt

[@lewisner]

The interviewer might as well of asked her out on a date.

[@gavinradcliffe9872]

She slimmed down. Blimey. She's hot. Can't believe she 70. She looks 30s 40s. Looks aside she speaks so much sense.

[@Iwantmymtv]

Why is she always playing the victim? And what did she actually achieve for the people?

[@TheLion-b3h]

She’s been abused her entire career, are you this simple…!? Or just another example of British values…!? AKA a Racist.

[@GuntD-rz1xb]

Pay attention, hon.

[@BarryDiegoLondon-cy9ij]

Oh that racist trope, the victim card, the race card blah blah blah. Get over it darling, she's amounted to more in life than you and your mum could dream of, despite a majority trying to keep her down.

[@bbuzz1687]

What a stupid comment. She was attacked! Do you take this approach to antisemitism?🤡

[@callyyeadon2653]

Another unconscious remark

[@MC-cl9wz]

An honest woman of integrity. Starmer and Reeves would do well to take a leaf out of her book.

[@Elle_Jay52]

Unfortunately, for some, black women are always playing the victim when they call out BS behaviour and actions. We take comfort knowing we are from the lineage of all humanity we're the greatest and best so have learnt to hold are own!

[@gloriahughes1660]

Ok ok

[@JanieJane6149]

Can you put a matching pair of shoes 👞 👞 on yet Di Di 🤔🤣

[@pauljorgensen6608]

She slept with Jeremy Corbin. End of.

[@philbrainy2399]

Dianne abbot thinks that 2+2 = Yellow

[@thejoin4687]

It literally does.

[@callyyeadon2653]

Unconscious remark

[@thomHD]

Right wing or left, the saltiness and the very vague insinuation (at least in the press) she's been sidelined due to race, sex, age? The latter, yep, probably. But no 70 year old should be surprised being replaced by a 30-something. That's just how it is and perhaps how it ought to be, at least in politics.

[@alanfrost4661]

Dianne wrong shoes 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@AdrienvonFerscht]

Why does Newsnight feel we are desperate to see what Diane Abbott thinks🤨 Pairing her up with David Lammy would make a good comedy, though!