General Election 2017: Labour party reselects Diane Abbott and Meg Hillier

Diane Abbott

Both of Hackney’s parliamentary seats are held by Labour MPs who are seeking to retain them in the June election.

In Hackney North and Stoke Newington, incumbent Diane Abbott has represented Hackney in Westminster since 1987. Abbott increased her majority to 62.9 per cent at the 2015 General Election before becoming shadow Home Secretary in October of last year, following brief stints as shadow International Development Secretary and shadow Health Secretary. Since then her role in the shadow cabinet has won her increased national prominence, though she has been criticised in recent weeks for failure to turn out in Parliament for the vote to invoke Article 50 on exiting the European Union and for her figure fumbling in a radio interview on Labour’s plans for increasing police numbers.

Meg Hillier

Meg Hillier has represented Hackney South and Shoreditch since 2005, and she sailed in on an increased majority of 64.5 per cent at the 2015 General Election. She has chaired the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament since 2015.  Hillier has been active locally in the Labour party’s campaign to oppose the Government’s plan to devolve business rates.