Diane Abbott | A Woman Like Me
Sat 26 Apr 2025 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
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
Venue: TTP Stage (Cambridge Union)
Duration: 1 hour
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Author Biography
Diane Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987. She served in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Home Secretary from 2016 to 2020 and is an advisor to the Privy Council. She was the first black woman elected to parliament and is the longest-serving black MP.
Chair Biography
Rachel Cunliffe is the associate political editor of the New Statesman. She writes on politics and culture, conducts interviews, and is a regular contributor to the New Statesman Podcast.
