Along with Michael Portillo, Diane Abbott is a regular pundit on the BBC politics show This Week.
Diane Abbott was first elected Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in 1987.
Her family were originally from Jamaica.
Diane Abbott was educated at Harrow County Girls' Grammar School and Newnham College, Cambridge.
She started out in the civil service as an administrator and worked for the prison department and the parole board.
Her other jobs were being a race relations officer for the National Council for Civil Liberties, a researcher with Thames Television, a reporter with TV-am, press and PR officer at the Greater London Council, and then principal press officer at Lambeth Borough Council.
In June 2010 Diane Abbott got through to the Labour leadership ballot.
