Diane Abbott backed out of a radio interview today after being 'taken ill' in the wake of another toe-curling TV meltdown.

The shadow home secretary was left floundering on Sky News when she was asked about a key counter-terrorism report last night. Under questioning from Dermot Murnaghan Ms Abbott desperately struggled to give answers about the content of the Harris report.

She 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 seems to have made it to within striking distance of the BBC studios, however - with a photograph posted on Twitter showing her apparently on her phone at Oxford Circus Tube station at 8.40am.

This afternoon it emerged she has also pulled out of an Evening Standard election hustings event tonight.

Despite Ms Abbott's shambolic performance, Labour supporters including singer Lily Allen claimed that criticism of her was down to 'racist sexist abuse'. Aides insisted she would not be 'talking about her health at this time'.

And when challenged is she has damaged Labour's campaign, Jeremy Corbyn said Ms Abbott has done a 'good job' - but refused to say if he will make her Home Secretary if he is elected on Thursday.

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

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 posted on Twitter appears to show Ms Abbott at Oxford Circus tube station, just around the corner from the BBC Radio 4 studios, this morning. Her aides have not been answering calls and Labour merely stressed that her withdrawal had been down to 'illness'

But 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.

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 Ms 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.'

Evening Standard editor and former Chancellor George Osborne ridiculed Ms Abbott on Twitter for pulling out of the hustings

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

Labour-supporting singer Lily Allen suggested the criticism of Ms Abbott was down to 'racist sexist abuse'

Ms 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.'

Ms 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.'

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry filled in for her colleague on Woman's Hour this morning, but was forced to admit she did not have some figures to hand because it was 'slightly last minute me coming here'. At one point she admitted to rooting around and finding notes 'in the bottom of my handbag'.

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

Meanwhile, a photograph posted on Twitter by Nick Astaire purported to show Ms Abbott at Oxford Circus tube station, just around the corner from the BBC Radio 4 studios, at 8.40am.

A spokeswoman declined to comment on the photo, saying: 'Ms Abbott will not be talking about her health at this time.

'There can be no more distractions from the real issues of this General Election.

'Ms Abbott will be joining Labour Party colleagues to get the vote out on Thursday June 8.'

And Mr Corbyn stepped in to defend his key ally today - but refused to say if she would be kept on and make the Cabinet if Labour wins on June 8.

Speaking on his campaign battlebus, he said: 'Our shadow home secretary has done a good job, she's not well today and is therefore not on the campaign today.'

Asked if her media appearances had damaged Labour's campaign, he said: 'Diane has been a great advocate for the Labour Party and a great advocate for young women trying to achieve in politics.

'And I think we should recognise she has received an awful lot of very unfair criticism and abuse in the past, she's not well at the moment and she's taking a break for the campaign.'

But he remained tight-lipped over whether she would be kept on in her brief if he is voted into No 10.

He said: 'I will be appointing a cabinet on Friday if we are elected into government and that's when you will find out who's going to be in the cabinet, I'm not appointing it on television.'

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said: 'Jeremy Corbyn wants to make Diane Abbott Home Secretary in just two days but is hiding her away from voters.

'The woman who would be in charge of our police and the intelligence services cannot even be trusted by Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell to go on the airwaves to explain their shocking record on national security.

'Labour might be hiding her today but make no mistake – she will be in charge of our security and borders on Friday unless people vote for Theresa May and her Conservative team.'

Former government terror adviser Lord Carlile, who quit the Lib Dems earlier this year, said Ms Abbott's interview was 'one of the most shocking things I have ever heard in an election'.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured in Telford today, said Diane Abbott has done a 'good job' when asked if her car crash media appearances have damaged Labour's campaign

'The first thing we should be doing is ensuring that those who purport to be in charge of national security know something about it, and that interview with Diane Abbott was one of the most shocking things I've ever heard in an election. She is not fit to be involved in home affairs policy,' he said.

Standard editor and former Chancellor George Osborne revealed that Ms Thornberry was going to take the place of Ms Abbott, who is defending her Hackney seat on Thursday, at hustings tonight.

'Diane Abbott has pulled out of @EveningStandard hustings. It's not like someone who wants to be Home Sec has much to talk about these days,' he said on Twitter.

But singer 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.

Ms 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 notorious 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 Ms 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 Ms 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 Ms 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: Ms 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