LABOUR MP Diane Abbott said she was “helping to make history” yesterday as she got behind her party’s effort to beat Ukip leader Nigel Farage in South Thanet.

Ms Abbott, who became Britain’s first black female MP in 1987, hit the campaign trail in the constituency with Labour candidate Will Scobie.

Mr Farage hand picked South Thanet as the safest route into Parliament.

But polls show the seat is now on a knife edge, with Ukip just one point behind the Tories and one point ahead of Labour.

And Ms Abbott told the Star that the fight for South Thanet represented the wider battle “between the politics of hope and the politics of fear.”

“It’s absolutely vital that we meet Farage with a show of strength in South Thanet to challenge the toxic Ukip narrative at its very core,” she said yesterday.

“The importance of winning South Thanet cannot be overstated.”

Mr Scobie grew up in the constituency and his energetic campaign has seen bookies slash odds on him winning the seat to just 4/1.

A split in the right-wing vote between Ukip and the Tories, who have selected former Ukip deputy leader Craig Mackinlay, could also help Labour.

Ms Abbott’s visit on Friday came ahead of a mass canvass lead by journalist and campaigner Owen Jones on Sunday.

Welcoming their support, Mr Scobie said Labour was the only party with grassroots support.

He said: “As the election approaches large numbers of people are voting with their feet and getting behind the Labour campaign here.

“Ukip and the Tories have both spent the last few weeks trying to manufacture the sort of grassroots campaigning here that in reality it takes years to build.”