Witness History
Witness History
The first black woman MP in Britain
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October 8, 2019
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In 1987 Diane Abbott became the first black woman elected to the British Parliament. The daughter of first generation immigrants she was one of only four black MPs elected that day. In 2015 Diane Abbott spoke to Farhana Haider about her journey into the political history books.
Photo: Diane Abbott in 1986. Copyright: BBC