Not tokenism - it's good to see that at least someone outside the narrow clique will have a chance to be heard.
I don't expect her to win, but I do expect her to raise some important issues.

Ok, so it may be tokenism – it might be slightly orchestrated but wouldn’t it have been terrible if there wasn’t a female on the list? Sad if there wasn’t someone from a minority background? A poor show if it was just New Labour insiders? Diane Abbott is finally….a blessing to Labour! (That’ll make Ali Campbell choke on his Tazo Chai Tea Latte!).

She ticks most of the boxes…although I don’t think she’s a Lesbian –but these things are sooooOOOooo transient – if only she had a landlady to have an affair with – afterwards she could declare it didn’t count, turn straight again and still claim her expenses!

If nothing else, at least it may make the contest a bit more exciting and lets be honest – the others may be able to charm their way in to a packet of my grannies Werther's Original – but they need to show more than just charm - as Brian Barder blogged on labourlist – they can’t aim to be a continuation of new Labour! The men in suits vs the Hackney Hell-raiser!

I actually think it’s a pity that the likes of Mandy, Harman and a few more interesting characters haven’t stepped forward, because outside of Cabinet collective responsibility – they do have interesting things to say – whether you agree with them or not. And, after a bruising from the electorate and 13 years in office – it is good to take off the tight shoes, slip in to something more comfortable and not take everything too seriously.

Yes, it was like the Eurosong contest !
Ego seems to be the driving force and not policies.

I hope Diane can help change that and change the rules as well.

I agree iainburnshill, we need openness, debate and democracy!

Well said.

I am not enthusiastic about any of the candidates to be honest.Essentially the left dont have a credible candidate. That leaves Blair regular or Blair light or if that is not to your taste Brown regular and light .As for Diane Abbott she is still an oxbridge educated middle class M.P regardless of her views or background. Moreover she sent her son to a private school,very socialist that.How could she argue or discuss the merits of the education system with working class voters? What will her motto be. Just do what I say, dont do what I do!!

Great to see that Diane Abbott is still a candidate for the Labour Leadership. I wish her all the best! I was disappointed to not see new MPs running for the Leadership. May be 'New Labour' will live on as a shadow government!

Congratulations Diane. David Milliband has just risen in my estimation. Labour!

Diane as Labour Leader? HA HA HA.

We're all screwed if that happens. I just hope she doesn't stand for the Shadow Cabinet as well!

I like Diane, I think that she is friendly, outgoing and a nice person I could be taking about the village postmistress. I prefer her on This Week to partner Michael to listen to her soft politics, if she is of the left then you do not hear much of her, has she held any kind of ministerial post ? has she been private secetary to any government minister ? what kind of leftish agenda does she have ? I am unsure is she is able enough to handle Cameron at the dispatch box and I dont have much time for him but I believe that in any exchange she would not come off very well. Lets see more of what she can do in the next couple of months to impress the electorate.

Excellent news I'd rather some tokenism than homogene...

sameness

Looks like David has realised the game is up, and he's not going to make Leader and is ingratiating himself with the Party. It won't work David.

Excellent news! Now we have a genuine debate about ideas, and not the same old stale New Labour guff.

Lets hope that Dianne can use this candidacy to advocate some real policy changes that reflect the needs of the electorate during this tiome of austerity. I doubt she will win, but a better showing by the left will nonetheless create space for change.

Great news! Why not have a wider debate and the opportunity for the membership to choose a different candidate than the candidates preferred by MPs.

I do hope we can get away from the four white men are all the same and start to see some of their differences. Two are the sons of Jewish-Polish refugees so are of an ethnically different background. How does that inform their understanding and why don't they point to this when it is claimed that the men are all the same. The big worry is that these four men are all of the centre

This is superb news shows Labour moving forward than behind. It widens the debate and that will strengthen the party going forward.

I don't want Abbott as Labour leader, she would be a unmitigated, Foot-sized disaster. And whilst we all want politics and Britain to be this meritocratic utopia, until it is then I'm afraid such 'tokenism' is completely necessary.

But more than the need to have a slighly more varied set of candidates - although lets not forget Abbott is Oxbridge herself - is the need to grant the left a voice in the election. It is fundamentally in the best interests that the left has a say in the debate, partakes in the democratic process and can communicate a critique of the candidates to the right. I am delighted that those in the centre or right of the party, like me, have recognised this and its value to party unity going forward. This is a good day for Labour, and shows that the pluralistic, open and concillitary culture which needs to be the benchmark for all our political conduct going forward, is at last being noted by some higher in the party.