Diane Abbott has had another ‘Diane Abbott moment’ - this time on anti-terror

Diane Abbott has been ridiculed once again for another car crash broadcast interview.

In the wake of the London Bridge attack, the shadow home secretary was questioned by Dermot Murnaghan on Sky News on Monday about an anti-terror report published last year.

But the Labour politician was unable to recall any of the report’s 127 recommendations, even though she insisted she had read it.

Ms Abbott withdrew from a planned interview on BBC Radio 4 programme Woman’s Hour on Tuesday morning.

Ms Abbott has already been involved in two previous media gaffes in this election campaign.

She was mocked last month after she failed to provide accurate costings for Labour’s policing policy in an LBC radio interview, estimating anything from £300,000 to £80 million.

A few days later, she was caught out in an television interview with ITN, estimating that Labour’s net losses in local elections were 50, before the interviewer informed her they were 125.

TERROR IN LONDON – LATEST COVERAGE FROM YAHOO UK:

• • Security barriers installed at London bridges in wake of latest terror attack

  • First victim of London Bridge attack ‘died in fiance’s arms’

  • London Bridge terror attack: How the UK national front pages reacted

  • ISIS says it carried out terror atrocity which hit London Bridge

  • Jeremy Corbyn turns fire on Theresa May after London Bridge terror attack

  • This man ’embodied British spirit’ by fleeing London Bridge attack with his pint

  • London attacks: Donald Trump vows that ‘terror bloodshed will end’

  • Baker ‘smashed London Bridge terrorist over the head with bread crate’

In her latest awkward exchange, she was asked about an anti-terror report published last October by former Metropolitan Police Authority chairman Lord Harris about security in London.

Ms Abbott told Sky News it was time to ‘revisit’ the report’s findings, but when asked by Mr Murnaghan which part, she merely replied: ‘I just think it’s about preparedness and resilience.’

Pressed on whether she knew specifically what it recommended, she said: ‘I know he was talking about preparedness and resilience and I do think we need to act, not necessarily on every specific recommendation.’

Asked once more, she said: ‘I thought, because I know Toby Harris – he’s a long-standing London politician – I thought it was an important review and we should act on it, obviously acting with stakeholders.’

Mr Murnaghan then asked about Lord Harris’s recommendations for the police forces in the capital.

Ms Abbott said: ‘You mean the idea they should work more closely together?’

He replied: ‘No, he was suggesting they should amalgamate.’

Ms Abbott said it was an ‘interesting’ idea but suggested that it would meet resistance.

Mr Murnaghan then asked her about the report’s recommendations on greater ‘physical resilience’. She said: ‘Yes, I think physical resilience is important.’

However, she again appeared unaware that it included putting up more barriers to protect people until Mr Murnaghan informed her.

Ms Abbott denied reports that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell wanted to keep her off air during the remaining stages of the election, fearing she had become a liability.

‘I am here. I have just come from doing another media interview. I’m going on to do another media interview. There is no truth in the idea I’m not in the media,’ she said.

On Tuesday morning, Ms Abbott withdrew from a scheduled interview on Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 because she was ‘unwell’, according to the programme’s presenter, Jenni Murray.