Diane Abbott's charity spent all of its year’s income on its own glitzy launch ceremony

Under fire for failing to turn up for a crucial vote on Brexit, Diane Abbott could never be accused of missing a good party.

For it can be disclosed that the Shadow Home Secretary’s grandiose charity spent all of its year’s income on its own glitzy launch ceremony.

The Diane Abbott Foundation held the celebration in the grace-and-favour apartments of her old friend, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, at the Palace of Westminster. The shindig in December 2015 was also celebrating ten years of a school awards ceremony Abbott backs.

Accounts for her foundation filed late last year reveal it received a £10,000 donation from Linklaters law firm. It spent £9,600 on the awards ceremony and ‘official launch’ of the foundation. Costs were made up of £3,150 on catering, £2,500 in marketing, and £1,800 on video and photography.

The donation from Linklaters was the foundation’s only income in the year to January 2016. Its total costs were £14,651. In addition to the party’s expenses, more than £4,000 was spent on office and operational costs, and almost £1,000 on ‘volunteer’ costs.

The accounts report that the foundation had £5,349 in assets. Aims for the organisation listed with the Charity Commission are stated as: ‘The advancement of education and the promotion of equality and diversity.’

Last year, it emerged that the foundation had spent £29,000 of its £35,000 funds on the London School Black Children Awards in 2014.

Abbott has raised eyebrows after helping party leader and former lover Jeremy Corbyn enforce a three-line whip of Labour MPs to support the vote on Article 50 — only to leave the Commons a few hours beforehand, saying she felt unwell with a migraine.

Angry colleagues pointed out that two seriously-ill Labour MPs were brought to the Commons to vote and that if Abbott had been on the premises at the time she could have been ‘nodded through’ while remaining in her office rather than having to go into the division lobby.

A spokesman for Abbott said: ‘Linklaters, having been informed of the associated costs of the event, gave the required funding to the charity.’

Linklaters declined to comment.

Cherie Blair recently denied she and Tony were the richest former occupants of 10 Downing Street, but she’s doing her best to get there.

Newly published accounts for Oldbury Residential, the property company she owns with eldest son, Euan, reveal it has soared in value to £2.46 million — £491,000 more than in 2015.

The Blairs are said to own a total of 37 properties worth about £27 million.

Football presenter turned activist Gary Lineker took his son George on a protest against Donald Trump last week

Football presenter turned tiresome activist Gary Lineker took his son George on a protest against Donald Trump last week.

Playboy George, pictured right with his father, might be better served learning from the President’s business career.

Amid great fanfare in 2013, 24-year-old George announced he was quitting his party lifestyle to become the internet’s answer to Simon Cowell. His online music company, GetSung, was trumpeted as ‘the next Myspace, only more successful’.

Sadly, it is now closing. Its Twitter feed has been inactive since May, its website is down and Companies House documents show it is being struck from the register.

Former England striker Gary owns 80,000 shares. Perhaps he can offset any losses against tax?

Blackburn is back on top

Having caused an outcry by sacking Brian Matthew, 88, who presented Sounds Of The 60s for more than a quarter of a century, the BBC is hoping to make amends by promoting another old favourite it had mistreated.

I can disclose that Radio 2 has held talks with Tony Blackburn about becoming presenter of the popular Saturday morning show.

Blackburn, 74, was reinstated as a DJ last month, 11 months after he was taken off air over the Jimmy Savile inquiry. Director-general Tony Hall said at the time that Blackburn failed to co-operate fully with the inquiry.

Last month, the Beeb said that, due to Matthew’s ill health, it had been mutually agreed that it was ‘the right time for him to step off the weekly treadmill of presenting’.

However, he said: ‘That’s absolute balderdash. I was ready and willing and able to go back.’

Yours for just £3,000 — the Spitting Image puppets of Neil Kinnock and his wife, Glenys, which played their satirical role in diminishing the then Labour leader’s chances of high office.

The Kinnock head was regularly covered in spittle from the mouth of his deputy, Roy Hattersley.

Fortunately, Cardiff auctioneer Ben Rogers Jones, which is selling the latex puppets this month, says the Welshman has not sustained any visible water damage.