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The shadow home secretary went back and forth with the presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in an attempt to defend her party and candidate Gareth Snell. The clash comes after Mr Snell, a councillor in nearby Newcastle Under Lyne, wrote on Twitter last year: “Soft Brexit, Hard Brexit, massive pile of s***. Sloppy Brexit, messy Brexit, quit, quit, quit." The candidate has come out more recently to say he “won’t frustrate the triggering” of Article 50 if elected. Robinson asked: “Why did you choose a candidate for the Stoke by-election, an area which is overwhelmingly in favour of leaving who described Brexit in words I can’t use?”

TWITTER•GETTY Diane Abbott defended Labour's Stoke by-election candidate Gareth Snell

We’re not voting for Brexit, we’re going to vote to begin what will be a two-year process of leaving the EU Diane Abbott

Ms Abbott replied: “I can’t speak to the candidate the selection. “It’s a matter for the party, I was not on the panel, I was not on the shortlisting, I cannot speak to candidate selection, what I’m confident about is that the Labour candidate will be far better for the people of Stoke that anyone the Tories can drag up.” Robinson fired back and asked: “Even though he thinks the people he wants to represent made a totally ridiculous decision?” “That’s not what he said,” replied the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP before being pushed once more by the presenter, who blasted: “He said Brexit was a pile of you know what.”

Remoaners Club: These people hate Brexit! Mon, January 16, 2017 Remainers are finding it hard to accept Brexit. Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 14 NICK CLEGG

GETTY Nick Robinson grilled Diane Abbott about Labour's three-line whip over Article 50