Labour supporters today dismissed criticism of Diane Abbott over her shambolic media performances as down to 'racist and sexist abuse'.

Singer Lily Allen hit out after the shadow home secretary was ridiculed for another car crash interview.

Ms Abbott was left floundering on Sky News when she was asked to discuss the Harris Report, released last October, which made several recommendations on beefing up security in the capital.

But after being questioned by Dermot Murnaghan on specific aspects of the report a desperate Ms Abbott was unable to come up with answers and even had to be corrected by the interviewer.

Ms Abbott was due to appear on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour today for a debate with Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

But less than half an hour before the programme was due to begin producers said they had been informed she was 'ill'. The close Corbyn ally appears to have made it to within striking distance of the BBC studios, with a photograph posted on Twitter purporting to show her on her phone at Oxford Circus Tube station at 8.40am.

Allen waded in on Twitter to defend Ms Abbott from criticism that she was damaging Labour. 'It's hardly surprising given the amount of racist sexist abuse she receives on a daily basis from people, press and mp's,' she wrote.

The shadow home secretary was left floundering on Sky News, pictured, when she was asked to discuss the recommendations of a major report into beefing up security in the capital

Singer Lily Allen has been a strong backer of Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party

Labour supporter Lily Allen waded in on Twitter to defend Ms Abbott from criticism over the latest interview

But her comment was far from universally welcomed by other users on social media

There was a backlash last week after Theresa May repeatedly raised the issue of Ms Abbott's competence during a BBC Question Time special.

Ms Abbott herself complained that it was 'curious' she was targeted for criticism, while left-winger Paul Mason openly branded the jibes 'racism'.

In a toe-curling showing last night punctuated by long pauses, Ms Abbott claimed she had read the report produced by former Metropolitan Police Authority chairman Lord Toby Harris in October last year.

But she was unable to identify a single one of the 127 recommendations when asked about it by Mr Murnaghan last night.

She said it was time to 'revisit that report'.

But asked 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 merging 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.'

Woman's Hour tweeted less than half an hour before the start of the debate this morning to say Diane Abbott had been 'taken ill'

A photograph has surfaced purporting to show Ms Abbott at Oxford Circus tube station this morning, just around the corner from the BBC Radio 4 studios. The timing of the picture has not yet been verified

Ms Abbott denied that Mr Corbyn and the shadow chancellor John McDonnell had ordered her off the airwaves

Miss Abbott was reported to have been banned from doing media appearances at the weekend following a series of disastrous 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: 'I, well I'm here. I've just come from doing aother media interview, I'm going on to do another. There's no truth in the idea I'm not in the media, particularly talking about what happened on London Bridge

Mr Murnaghan then asked if she considered herself an asset or a liability 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.'

The episode will draw comparisons with Ms Abbott's failure to make the historic Article 50 vote in February. Labour colleagues accused her of 'bottling' the vote after she claimed to have suffered a 'migraine' despite being at the Commons all day.

The former independent reviewer of terror legislation, Lord Carlile said the interview was the 'one of the most shocking things I've ever heard in an election'.

He told LBC Ms Diane Abbott was 'not fit to be involved in home affairs policy' and the UK should ensure 'people who purport to be in charge of national security know something about it.'

In a faltering performance punctuated by long pauses, Miss Abbott claimed she had read the report produced by Lord Harris in October last year

Miss Abbott hit the headlines last month after struggling to explain the costings for labour's plan to recruit 10,000 new police officers.

At one point during the infamous interview with LBC radio she suggested the plan would cost £300,000 – meaning the officers would be paid just £30 each. She then said it would be £80 million. The actual forecast cost is £300 million.

MPs on both sides say concern about Miss Abbott's competence have been raised frequently by voters on the doorstep, prompting the Tories to target her in the campaign.

The Tories have mocked Miss Abbott in campaign posters suggesting Labour would install a home secretary who 'can't add up'.

And Theresa May has repeatedly used media performances to warn of the dangers of installing Miss Abbott in the Home Office.

DIANE ABBOTT'S LATEST CAR CRASH INTERVIEW Diane Abbott was asked by Dermot Murnaghan on Sky News about the Harris Report, commissioned by Sadiq Khan in October 2016, which gave 127 recommendations to improve London's 'readiness' for terror. Here is a transcript of the exchange: Miss Abbott suffered another 'car crash' TV interview as she was quizzed about plans to protect London from terrorist attack Diane Abbott: 'I do think we need to revisit that report' Dermot Murnaghan: 'Which part of it?' Abbott: 'Well I just think it's about preparedness and resilience.' Murnaghan: 'But he [Harris] makes some very specific recommendations which have not been acted on. Do you know what they are?' Abbott: 'Well I know...I mean he was talking about preparedness and resilience and I do think that we need to act; not necessarily on every specific recommendation.' Murnaghan: 'The report came out in October 2016 and Lord Toby Harris had some bullet points. What did you make of those? The specifics? Abbott: 'I thought... because I know Toby Harris...I thought it was an important review and I think we should act on it but working with...' Murnaghan: 'But what should we act on? What do you think about the recommendations about various police forces?' Abbott: 'You mean the idea that they should work more closely together?' Murnaghan: 'No he suggested that they should amalgamate.' Abbott: 'I think that's an interesting idea. I think you'd find resistence in some parts of London to the amalgamation.' Murnaghan: 'Have you actually read the report?' Abbot: 'I have' Murnaghan: 'What about physical resilience?' Abbott: 'Yes, I think physical resilience is important...' Murnaghan: 'There was a specific aspect of physical resilience.' Abbott: 'I think that physical resilience is important.' Murnaghan: 'The specific aspect was he talked about putting up more barriers in the wake of the Nice attack. He mentioned that in October 2016.' Abbott: 'We're now putting up barriers on..er...bridges...and you'd think we might have done that...before, particularly after what happened on Westminster Bridge. But now in the past few days we are putting up barriers on bridges.' Murnaghan: 'What about putting up barriers around all public spaces? Round parks, round Covent Garden, round places like that?' Abbott: 'Certainly in Westminster, where I work, there's been a lot more barriers and bollards to protect us from terrorism and I think we need to consider that for other places in central London.' Murnaghan: 'Is it true that Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell's team have been trying to keep you off the airwaves?' Abbott: 'No, that's why I'm here this evening.' Murnaghan: 'It's said that you book your own appearances, that you don't run them through the leader's office?' Abbott: 'No no, we work very closely with the press office.' Murnaghan: 'But the two Js regard you as a bit of a liability after your brain fade on the police?' Abbott: 'I'm here. I've just come from doing a media interview and I'm going on to do another media interview. There's no truth in the idea that I'm not in the media, particularly about on what happened on London Bridge.' Murnaghan: 'You think you are an asset, not a liability, to the front bench?' Abbott: 'I think I'm shadow home secretary and it would be very strange if the shadow home secretary wasn't doing interviews like this.' Advertisement