Diane Abbott criticised involvement with controversial transgender lobby group

Diane Abbott has been criticised for attending a fundraising event for a controversial transgender lobby group that advocates giving hormone drugs to children.

The Shadow Home Secretary spoke at a meeting last month, organised by Labour's hard-Left faction Momentum, in aid of Action for Trans Health (ATH).

ATH has called for the NHS to prescribe cross-sex hormones to patients of any age.

At present, the hormones – which develop male characteristics in girls and vice versa – are only prescribed to transgender patients aged 16 and over.

Stephanie Davies-Arai from Transgender Trend, a group alarmed by the growing number of children being allowed to change gender, said: 'I'm shocked that Ms Abbott would support an extremist organisation that pushes for total autonomy for little children to take powerful hormones that can have permanent effects on their bodies.'

Stephanie Davies-Arai (pictured) from Transgender Trend, a group alarmed by the growing number of children being allowed to change gender, said: 'I'm shocked that Ms Abbott would support an extremist organisation'

A spokeswoman for Ms Abbott said the MP had 'no information that this event is either linked with or intended to raise money for Action for Trans Health'.

She added that there was no indication anyone from ATH would be present at the meeting and therefore that 'if any such fundraising took place, Ms Abbott was not aware of it'.