Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has stepped down from her position due to medical reasons, one day before the Labour party faces the Conservatives in one of the toughest elections in years.
Abbott has been widely criticised over the last couple of days for several media appearances, in which she appeared to lack knowledge and be underprepared. On Tuesday she pulled out of an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, saying she was too ill to participate.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed on Wednesday that she would be stepping down from her post as shadow home secretary, saying that she “wasn’t well at the moment”. Abbott will be taking a step back from the campaign and the break is expected to be indefinite.
Speaking in public on Wednesday Corbyn defended Abbott’s recent behaviour, which has garnered heavy criticism. He said: “Of course Diane is somebody that works extremely hard and represents her community very well and I have to say has received totally unfair levels of attack and abuse not just recently – over many years.”
Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, told the Huffington Post that Abbott has been “diagnosed with a serious, long-term condition.”
“I hope people will simply say ‘OK, fair dos, if that’s the reason she’s been under par, we should back off”, he said.
Abbott will be replaced by shadow minister Lyn Brown. The reshuffle comes just one day before the country goes to the polls to elect a new leader, in a hard-fought battle that is predicted to end in a hung parliament.