Quotes by Diane Abbott (born 27 September 1953 in Paddington, London, England)

Diane Abbott Quotes

- Because that was the only way they felt they could survive.

- Being an MP is the sort of job all working-class parents want for their children - clean, indoors, and no heavy lifting.

- Both Milburn and Clarke just personally don't like Gordon Brown for a variety of reasons.

- Gun crime is a major cause of fear and distress throughout the UK. The problem is deeply entrenched in a wide range of social and cultural factors and therefore not an isolated issue.

- If you follow public opinion on issues which are riddled with peoples fears, it's a spiral race to the bottom.

- In my 26 years I haven't run into a baby who was rolled over on in bed, or who suffocated next to mom. Possibly it happens, but it happens a lot more often with moms who are bottle-feeding and have babies in cribs.

- It always surprises me the ease with which English people shove their elderly into homes.

- It was weird, lots of people said he had one too many shandies

- It's absolutely true that it's inconsistent, to put it mildly, for someone who believes in a fairer and more egalitarian society to send their child to a private, fee-paying school. I've always believed that private schools prop up the class structure of society. It's inconsistent, it's indefensible and that's why I haven't sought to defend it.

- Many young people carrying real or imitation firearms do so in a mistaken attempt to either boost their image, or from a misguided idea about self-protection. In addition, most London shootings involve members of the black community and are often related to deprivation, gang rivalry or the illegal drug trade.

- My London constituency in Hackney has one of the highest levels of gun crime in the country. But the problem is no longer confined to inner city areas. Gun crime has spread to communities all over Britain.

- My mother liked Jim Reeves. I hated his records. He was unbearable.

- People like Milburn and Clarke are full of antipathy for Gordon Brown.

- Private schools prop up the class system in society. It is inconsistent, to put it mildly, for someone who believes in a fairer and more egalitarian society to send their child to a fee-paying school. But I had to choose between my reputation as a politician and my son.

- She has proven herself to be a likable and strong-willed woman. I am sure she will prove herself very worthy of this place in history and will serve as an inspiration for women the world over.

- The honest truth is that if this government were to propose the massacre of the first-born, it would still have no difficulty in getting it through the Commons.

- The internet will become increasingly useful for older people. It will become a vital tool for avoiding the social exclusion of older people.

- The prime minister has made it clear he's going to stick with Peter Mandelson to the last hour of the last day. All I can say is, he's going to have some very long days ahead with Peter.

- There are 101 websites out there for debate - this was a blatant last attempt to get someone to stand against Gordon Brown.

- This is a historically significant victory for women worldwide but for Jamaicans in particular. Portia has already made history, and looks set to consolidate her place in the history books of the future by becoming Jamaica's first female prime minister. She has proven herself to be a likeable and strong-willed woman. I am sure she will prove herself very worthy of this place in history and will serve as an inspiration for women the world over.

- Whenever I felt like slitting my wrists I used to like listening to depressed singers from the 1970s. It was great music for a misunderstood teenager. And when I'm feeling misunderstood these days, I'll stick on a bit of Leonard Cohen.

- You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.

- ...when it comes to corruption, Nigerians make Jamaicans, and every other nationality in the world, look like mere amateurs.