Diane Abbott: My election meltdown with type 2 diabetes

Diane Abbott is “ready to return to work” after an out-of-control flare-up of type 2 diabetes forced her to step down as Shadow Home Secretary on the eve of the general election. Ms Abbott, in her first comments since stepping back from the campaign due to illness, hit out at the “terrible” intense targeting of her. The Labour front bencher – temporarily replaced by Lyn Brown following two bruising media interviews – said she was managing her condition, which was diagnosed two years ago. The political veteran, who was returned to Westminster with a thumping 35,000+ majority at last Thursday`s (June 8) polls, criticised the way she was singled out by the Conservatives for criticism. Ms Abbott, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, found herslef in the spotlight following an interview with LBC radio in which she forgot figures for Labour`s police funding plans and an appearance on Sky News when she struggled to discuss details of a security report. Explaining the deterioration in her health, the 63-year-old Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP said: “During the election campaign, everything went crazy – and the diabetes was out of control, the blood sugar was out of control.” She said her brother had raised concerns after seeing her struggling: “He said `that is not Diane`, because ever since I`ve been a child I`ve had a great memory for figures, and he said he knew it was my blood sugar and gave me a lecture about eating and having glucose tablets.” She added: “It is a condition you can manage. I am doing that now and I feel ready to get back to work.”