June 1987. Neil Kinnock congratulates Diane Abbott as the first black woman MP
…for the first time we are a multiracial party, which I hope will affect the self-image of black voters. He congratulated the four black and asian members Diane Abbott, Bernie Grant, Paul Boateng and Keith Vaz.
Tony Benn, Diary 17th June 1987
The occasion was an address to the PLP by Neil Kinnock after the 1987 Election defeat to Thatcher.
Looked at from the perspective of 2025 we might note that progress in history is not a straightforward process.
Diane Abbott remains as a Labour MP and is the Mother of the House. She in the meantime has been the focus of a huge amount of racist prejudice including some from her own Party.
At the same time there is now a considerable cohort of black women MPs and the Tory Party has a black female leader.
The impact of self-image, can’t be doubted. At the same time there is a rising racist right in British politics. A reminder that gains made in one generation can’t be regarded as permanent but a work in progress
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