Diane Abbott receives prestigious award

In her accepting speech Ms Abbot argued that Parliament “is the last bastion to protect civil liberties”. She added with note of caution, “that in this economic downturn, Parliamentarians should not pander to people’s base fears over immigration.”

Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said: “In these dark times, where almost every day there is another mauling of the Human Rights Act, the dedication and hard work of these organisations and individuals is truly uplifting. It is a heartening experience to judge these awards and rightly recognise the important contributions made by all those short-listed.”

OBV’s Simon Woolley who attended the ceremony, having nominated Dianne Abbott for the award, stated: “Diane’s record speaks for itself. She has never voted against her conscience and has always been at the forefront of almost every major social, racial and Human Rights battle. We in the Black community are very proud of her.”