David Lammy

For the Scottish Member of Parliament from Ayrshire, see David Lambie.

The Right Honourable David Lammy MP
Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
In office 5 October 2008 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Bill Rammell
Succeeded by	David Willetts
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
In office 28 June 2007 – 5 October 2008
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	New Department
Succeeded by	Siôn Simon
Baby of the House
In office 22 June 2000 – 18 September 2003
Preceded by	Chris Leslie
Succeeded by	Sarah Teather
Member of Parliament for Tottenham
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 June 2000
Preceded by	Bernie Grant
Majority	16,931 (41.6%)
Member of the London Assembly for the Labour Party (London-wide)
In office 4 May 2000 – July 2000
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Jennette Arnold
Personal details
Born	(1972-07-19) 19 July 1972 Tottenham, London, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Nicola Green
Alma mater	School of Oriental and African Studies, Harvard Law School
Website	www.davidlammy.co.uk

David Lindon Lammy (born 19 July 1972) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tottenham since 2000.

Lammy has commented on Britain's history of slavery, both in his role as Culture Minister to mark the 200th anniversary of the end of the slave trade in Britain and because he suspects there were slaves amongst his ancestors.

Early life and Education

Lammy was born in Tottenham, North London, to Guyanese parents and brought up by his mother after his father left the family. Lammy attributes being brought up by a single parent as the reason he is an advocate's of positive parenting and has publicly called for fathers to be active and not absent in the lives of their children. Lammy's started the organaisation 'Black Fatherhood in the 21st Century' which attempted to challenge issues with fatherhood particularly within the black working class community. Lammy has attempted to challenge, by using himself as example, the perception that there are few positive and high achieving Black men in Britain.

Lammy was awarded an Inner London Education Authority choral scholarship to The King's School, Peterborough. He then studied Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London obtaining a first class degree. Lammy then went onto study a Master's degree at Harvard Law School and is a member of Lincoln's Inn having been Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1994.

Political career

Early career and Government 2000 - 2010

In 2000, he was elected as for Labour on the London-wide list to the London Assembly. During the London election campaign, the sitting Member of Parliament for Tottenham Bernie Grant died during the campaign, and Lammy was selected as the Labour candidate. Lammy was elected to the seat, on a low turnout, in a by-election held on 22 June 2000.Upon his election Lammy was becoming the Baby of the House. in 2002 Lammy was appointed to a position in government as a Parliamentary under Secretary in the Department of Health. In 2003 Lammy was appointed as a Minister in the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Following the 2005 General Election, Lammy was appointed Minister for Culture at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

In June 2007 Lammy was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. In October 2008 he was promoted to Minister of State and was appointed to the Privy Council. In June 2009 department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was abolished and merged with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to form the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Lammy continued in the new department in his previous role as the Minister for Higher Education.

Backbench MP 2010- Onwards

After Labour lost the 2010 General Election a Labour Party leadership contest was announced. During the contest Lammy nominated Diane Abbott, although declaring his support for David Miliband. After the election of Ed Miliband, Lammy pledged his full support for Miliband, though he turned down a job in the Shadow Cabinet offered by Ed Miliband. Lammy stated the need to speak on a "wide range of issues that would arise in his constituency due to the large cuts in the public services that his constituents rely on." Deciding instead to become a back-bench opposition MP, Lammy has opposed the Coalition Government's comprehensive spending review.

2012 Mayor of London

In 2010 calls for Lammy to run for Mayor of London in 2012 created a momentum behind a possible campaign. However, Lammy pledged his support to Ken Livingstone's bid to become the Labour London Mayoral candidate, declaring him 'London's Mayor in waiting' [1]. Lammy became Livingstone's selection campaign chair.

Political controversy

On general election night in 2005 Lammy dubbed George Galloway, of the Respect party, a "carpetbagger", and said he had "come down from Scotland to whip up racial tensions". Galloway contested that his prior constituency in Scotland was dissolved and that he had a right to stand as a British MP wherever he had support.

Appearance on Mastermind

Lammy took part in the BBC television quiz show Mastermind but scored a low 13 points. Among his incorrect answers were saying that Henry VIII was succeeded by Henry VII; that the surname of Marie and Pierre, Nobel prizewinners for research into radiation, was Antoinette, not Curie; and that Versailles was a French state prison.

Personal life

Lammy is married to Nicola Green.

External links

• David Lammy official website
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou

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