Another TV disaster, starring Diane
DIANE Abbott suffered another embarrassing TV interview last night as she was quizzed about plans to protect London from terrorist attacks.
The shadow home secretary was left floundering on Sky News when she was asked to discuss the recommendations of a major report into beefing up security in the capital.
In a faltering performance punctuated by long pauses, Miss Abbott claimed she had read the report, which was produced by former Metropolitan Police Authority chairman Lord Harris in October last year.
But she was unable to identify a single one of the 127 recommendations when asked about it by presenter Dermot Murnaghan last night.
She said it was time to ‘revisit that report’. But when questioned which elements she was interested in, she paused and said: ‘I just think it’s about resilience.’
Asked if she knew what the report suggested, she replied: ‘I know he was talking about preparedness and resilience and I do think we need to act, not necessarily on every specific recommendation.’
Asked again about the specifics, she said: ‘I thought, because I know Toby Harris – he’s a longstanding London politician – I thought it was an important review and we should act on it, obviously acting with stakeholders.’
Mr Murnaghan finally put Miss Abbott out of her misery by informing her that the report’s recommendations included merg- ing London’s police forces, which she then voiced caution about. He then asked her about the report’s recommendations on greater ‘physical resilience’.
She appeared not to know these included erecting new barriers to protect pedestrians from vehicle attacks, saying only: ‘Yes, I think physical resilience is important.’
Asked about the specifics, she replied: ‘I think physical resistance is important.’
Miss Abbott was reported to have been banned from doing media appearances at the weekend following a series of calamitous outings.
Until last night she had given no interviews since the London Bridge terror attacks.
But she denied that Mr Corbyn and the shadow chancellor John McDonnell had ordered her off the airwaves. Asked if she was considered ‘ a bit of a liability’ by Labour’s high command, she replied: ‘Well, I’m here. I’ve just come from doing another media interview, I’m going on to do another. There’s no truth in the idea I’m not in the media.’
Mr Murnaghan then asked if she considered herself an asset or a burden to the party, prompting the reply: ‘I think I’m shadow home secretary and it would be very strange if the shadow home secretary wasn’t doing interviews like this.’
Miss Abbott also ducked questions about whether she would become home secretary if Labour win the election on Thursday, saying: ‘ The most important thing in three or four days’ time is that we win the general election and then Jeremy will choose his cabinet.’