MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington
“A long-serving backbench MP who occasionally rebels against party lines on key legislation.”
Ms Diane Abbott is the Independent MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, first elected in 1987. She has had a long parliamentary career, including senior opposition roles such as Shadow Home Secretary and Shadow Health Secretary, and has served on multiple committees (notably the Home Affairs and Justice Committees). Her career spans several decades with a mix of frontbench and committee experience.
She shows high party loyalty (95% vs an 80% party average) and moderate attendance (64%); she has 71 rebel votes. On policy, she generally supports Universal Credit and NHS funding, while generally opposing tighter immigration controls and the asylum system. Her voting on VAT changes, transgender rights, trade union powers and prison sentencing is mixed, and she generally opposed the Rwanda deportation scheme.
Declared financial interests include ad hoc payments related to employment and earnings (two entries), other employment earnings (one entry), miscellaneous interests (one entry) and visits outside the UK.
Generated 21 February 2026
How this MP participates in parliamentary votes. These numbers describe activity, not effectiveness.
How often this MP votes
Independent average: 25%
The percentage of parliamentary votes (divisions) this MP participated in. MPs may miss votes for legitimate reasons including ministerial duties, constituency work, or illness.
How often this MP votes with their party
Independent average: 80%
Estimated from voting record, not self-declared. This is a simplified model — real politics is more complex than a single axis.
9 positions
Justice Committee
Jan 2022 - Nov 2022
Home Affairs Committee
May 2020 - May 2024
Shadow Home Secretary
Oct 2016 - Apr 2020
Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Jun 2016 - Oct 2016
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
Sept 2015 - Jun 2016
Shadow Minister (Public Health)
Oct 2010 - Oct 2013
Figures include only interests with declared monetary values from the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Some categories (e.g. hospitality, overseas visits) may not have monetary values recorded, so the total may not reflect all declared interests.
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 6
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 5
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 4
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 3
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 2
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1
AYEVictims and Courts Bill
Opposition Day Motion: Defence
NOOpposition Day Motion: Oil and Gas
NOJustice Committee
Parliamentary role · 5 Jan 2022
Home Affairs Committee
Parliamentary role · 11 May 2020
Shadow Home Secretary
Opposition role · 6 Oct 2016
Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Opposition role · 27 Jun 2016
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
Opposition role · 14 Sept 2015
Shadow Minister (Public Health)
Opposition role · 8 Oct 2010
Foreign Affairs Committee
Parliamentary role · 16 Jul 1997
The percentage of votes where this MP voted the same way as the majority of their party. High loyalty is typical; most MPs vote with their party on most issues.
Rebel votes
Times this MP voted differently from the majority of their party. This can reflect independent judgement, but context matters — some rebel votes are on procedural matters, others on major policy.
