Diane Abbott uses n-word describing abuse in TV interview

Diane Abbott received more abuse than any other MP during the last general election. Picture: Getty Images

The shadow home secretary said she has been called a “n***** bitch” by trolls on Twitter when she appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday.

She said she has also received rape and death threats, in the interview ahead of a Committee on Standards in Public Life into intimidation of election candidates.

The senior Labour MP said: “When we discovered that we were getting half of these abusive tweets it was really quite frightening.

“And when I say abuse it’s not people saying ‘I disagree with you about nationalising the railways’, it’s people calling you a ‘n***** bitch’, it’s people threatening acid attacks, it’s rape, it’s death threats.

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“And it’s upsetting for me but also very upsetting for my staff.”

Presenter Susanna Reid said the content of the abuse was too offensive to be broadcast on the show.

She responded: “Obviously people listening to those abusive terms will also be upset by them, you’ve received them directly.

“We can’t broadcast them obviously on the programme at this time in the morning.”