Diane Abbott | A Woman Like Me

Diane Abbott MP has broken barriers and built an extraordinary legacy. As the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons, the longest-serving Black MP, and the current Mother of the House, she has fearlessly championed the causes that matter most to Britain today.

In her memoir, A Woman Like Me, Diane takes readers on a vivid journey from her childhood in 1960s North London, raised by working-class Jamaican parents, to her groundbreaking achievement as the first Black female MP in the UK. She recounts her time at Cambridge University and reflects on her decades of service in Parliament, where she has fought for better education for Black children, opposed the Iraq war, and stood up for refugees and immigrants.

With frankness and a wry sense of humour, Diane Abbott offers an inspiring account of overcoming the odds, enduring hostility, and maintaining unwavering convictions in the face of abuse. A Woman Like Me is a powerful story of resilience, legacy, and a woman’s extraordinary journey through public life.

In conversation with Rachel Cunliffe