Is there anything sensible to read about Diane Abbott?

[Sparetoes]

I quite like her.

She's a black woman who's achieved great things from a very working class background, including going to Cambridge. She's clearly not stupid, although there's been huge industry around making her appear so.

It seems to me an awful lot of "peoples' perception of her is bourne out of racisim and misogyny, though she's clearly made mistakes too.

Is there anything balanced to read?

[BigBoysDontCry]

I dunno. Diane is not shy of making racist remarks herself but 2 wrongs don't make a right.

I agree that she might be educationally accomplished but that doesn't make her necessarily a clever person, just as it doesn't work in reverse.

I personally don't like her, that doesn't make me a racist or mysoginist, nothing to do with her colour or sex. I don't like lots of people. Some are white, some are men etc etc.

[heldinadream]

I have always - since long before the internet - thought that she was an amazing role model for both black women and girls and for women and girls in general. First black woman MP in the UK - that's incredibly ground breaking and cannot have been an easy ride at all.
Just found this OP on the Black History Month website. Hope the verdict of history is on her side.
Diane Abbott - The first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons. - Black History Month 2024

[DistinguishedSocialCommentator]

Never liked her because she is a typical politician, ie say one thing do another

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/nov/01/uk.schools

[Eatyourcrust]

I’ve always liked and admired her, for similar reasons @heldinadream . Thanks for the link. I also know people who have worked with her in her constituency, and hold her in high esteem.

I am genuinely surprised at the level of negative public feeling and critical media coverage she receives.

[rwalker]

I like her after the police numbers and cost incident
to me make her just like the rest of us

[dimllaishebiaith]

@DistinguishedSocialCommentator

Never liked her because she is a typical politician, ie say one thing do another

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/nov/01/uk.schools

Edited

Really?

I admire her for being willing to put her parenting above her politics, especially given, as she explained, black boys are often let down by the education system

And given she also started an initiative that's been running for some years to try to tackle this it's not like shes looking after her own child whilst ignoring the children of other black parents either

[takemeawayagain]

@dimllaishebiaith

Really?

I admire her for being willing to put her parenting above her politics, especially given, as she explained, black boys are often let down by the education system

And given she also started an initiative that's been running for some years to try to tackle this it's not like shes looking after her own child whilst ignoring the children of other black parents either

Oh come on,

Abbott's decision in 2003 to send her son to the private City of London School after criticising colleagues for sending their children to selective schools, which she herself described as "indefensible" and "intellectually incoherent", caused controversy and criticism.

She's a typical politician, one rule for her and another for everyone else and what she said about Jewish/Irish/Traveller people was completely wrong.

[ToBeOrNotToBee]

I can't stand her. She has been promoted way above her level of competence.

But. That goes for pretty much all politicians these days.

DA is seen as divisive because she is divisive. And pretty offensive too. "White people love playing divide & rule" and comparing antisemitism to prejudice against redheads.

She's racist. She has also experienced racism. One does not cancel out the other.

[Misthios]

I agree that she might be educationally accomplished but that doesn't make her necessarily a clever person, just as it doesn't work in reverse.

Exactly this. Being smart and switched on is not the same as being academic. There are lots of people who are very clever and know lots about lots of different things and who do not have a conventional higher education. Similarly, you have people like Diane Abbott, who has existed her entire life in a bubble of politics and political reporting, who has surrounded herself with likeminded people and who might be very educated in a university sense, but who is not "smart".

[Brabican]

I really admired but fell out with her over her decision to educate her son privately. Of course, he to went to Cambridge. Trinity College. I think he was/ is a diplomat.
It does seem with her it is a case of, Don't Do As iI Do. Do as I say.

[amannerofspeaking]

get rid of her and Raynor I might vote Labour😀

[Brabican]

Sadly, her son's privileged upbringing, hasn't been altogether successful
https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/22932379.diane-abbotts-son-charged-alleged-assaults-royal-free-homerton-hospitals/

[Gunnersforthecup]

I think she was right to do the best she could by her son. He has indeed had problems anyway, but those problems might have been far worse if he hadn't been to a good school. She saw the signs that he was liable to have difficulty and tried to turm tings round for him. Fair play to that.

She is also right that we should in an ideal world have a good state school system and not have a 2 tier system.

It isn't an ideal world and she has done the best she could to make the world fairer, during her career, by her lights.