Diane Abbott: Celebrating 25 years in politics

At the end of Black history month an extraordinary event took place in which over 1000 people attended, including political grandees, academics, writers, actors, poets and news presenters.

Astonishingly, to my knowledge there was about zero coverage in the media of such a monumental event. It was D-Day: Diane Abbott Day which Goldsmiths College were hosting in the form of a whole day and evening celebration of Diane Abbott’s 25 years as a parliamentarian.

Lord Herman Ouseley started the proceedings with, what I’m told was a moving keynote speech. After which guests including: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Hannah Pool, Hugh Muir, Professor Heidi Safia Mirza, Angie Le Mar, Yvonne Brewster, Ken Livingstone, Simon Hughes MP, Darcus Howe, Moira Stuart, Shami Chakrabarti, Harriet Harman MP and Linton Kwesi Johnson all waxed lyrical about Diane Abbott.

I had the privilege to Chair a session with Ken Livingstone and Darcus Howe.

Yvonne Brewster read out Diane’s maiden speech which railed against the Government for demonising Black people during their immigration debates. But it was Howe, the firebrand activist who in many ways has been best placed to best understand the political roots of Diane Abbott.

‘ To understand Diane Abbott’, Howe began:

you need to understand that Diane Abbott is a Jamaican, and comes from the politics of the Independence movement of Jamaica. The sugar cane unions were instrumental. Their organisational skills, their internationalist outlook, their rootedness to social reform deeply influenced a generation of activist such as Diane and myself. Look at the way she speaks,’ he implored the audience. ‘ She speaks with her hands and an animated way that is simply Jamaican. She not only wants to you to understand the words but also to understand the very meaning of what she is trying to express.

As Howe was speaking I looked over to Diane, who was visibly moved. Modestly she held her hand to her lips, perhaps to hold in her emotions. The audience around her was gripped by Howe’s history master class. A history of activism he shares with Diane.

Afterwards Diane got up to thank the panel, and almost on cue her  hands began to talk in the  only way she can best express herself, the Jamaican way.  This was the indomitable Diane Abbott , the first Black British  female MP.

Congratulations Diane, You’ve served your constituency well for 25 years and fought tirelessly for the rights of Black people throughout the UK, and beyond. Thank you.

Simon Woolley