She has served on the frontbench for the party while in Opposition (Image: PA)
Prior to her frontbench appointments, in the 1990s she sat on the Treasury select committee and the foreign affairs select committee.
She also ran campaigns to become Labour leader in 2010 and the party s London mayoral candidate in 2016.
The Labour MP has become notorious for a number of gaffes made during her time in politics.
She was widely mocked in the 2017 election after she appeared to stumble over a maths question, accidentally suggesting the party would pay 10,000 new police officers £30 a year.
Diane Abbott ran for the Labour leadership in 2010 (Image: PA)
ROLE MODEL: Diane Abbott
A Woman Like Me:
A Memoir by Diane Abbott.
Nobody could have guessed that their bespectacled little girl would grow up to be a British Member of Parliament
Diane Abbott
th anniversary of Diane’s election to Parliament.
A powerful memoir that tells the story of modern Britain, from one of the UK’s most original and inspiring politicians
In June 1987: Diane Abbott made history as the first elected Black female MP in the UK.
Since then, she has survived more than three decades in parliament, campaigning tirelessly for a better future for Britain, from increasing access to education through the Black Child Initiative, to consistently voting in favour of higher disability benefits.
Diane Abbott signs deal for honest and moving memoirs theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.