 MP David Lammy posing with an early medieval skillet at the Museum of London. |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 October 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
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| Preceded by | Bill Rammell |
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| In office 28 June 2007 – 5 October 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Unknown |
| Succeeded by | Sion Simon |
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Member of Parliament
for Tottenham |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 22 June 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Bernie Grant |
| Majority | 13,034 (41.2%) |
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| In office 4 May 2000 – July 2000 |
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| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | Jennette Arnold |
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| Born | 19 July 1972 Tottenham |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Nicola Green |
| Alma mater | School of Oriental and African Studies, Harvard Law School |
David Lindon Lammy (born 19 July 1972) is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tottenham since 2000.
Lammy has commented on the UK'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[1][2] and because he suspects there were slaves amongst his ancestors.[3]
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Early life
Lammy was born in Tottenham, a working-class area of North London, and brought up by his mother after his father left the family.
Education
Lammy won 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 in London followed by a Master's degree at Harvard Law School (the first black Briton to do so) and is a member of Lincoln's Inn having been Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1994.
Political career
In 2000, he was elected as a Labour candidate on the London-wide list to the London Assembly. However, the sitting Member of Parliament for Tottenham Bernie Grant died during the campaign, and Lammy was selected to succeed him. He retained the seat, on a low turnout, in a by-election held on 22 June 2000, becoming the Baby of the House (the youngest MP). He was promoted to the government in 2002 and served at the Department for Constitutional Affairs from 2003 to 2005. Following the 2005 General Election, Lammy was appointed Minister for Culture under Tessa Jowell at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
Lammy has stated in speeches and articles that his vision for the arts in the UK is to move towards participation for all. In February 2006 he criticised the Arts Council of England leading to a conflict with its chairman.[4]
On 29 June 2007 he was moved from Culture, Media and Sport to become a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the newly created Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, working under Secretary of State John Denham. He has been involved with trying to raise the number of University applicants in his constituency of Tottenham, an area where only a small proportion of school leavers go onto University. In October 2008 he was promoted to Minister of State and it was announced he would be appointed to the Privy Council. In the June 2009 reshuffle the department was abolished, being merged with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to form the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, under Secretary of State Lord Mandelson. Lammy was transferred to the department to continue his previous role.
Political controversy
On general election night in 2005 he controversially dubbed George Galloway MP, of the Respect party, a "carpetbagger", and said he had "come down from Scotland to whip up racial tensions".[5] 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. Underlying the argument was Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war,[citation needed] of which Lammy was a vocal supporter, and its impact on community relations, which was a key issue for Galloway's Respect party.
Expenses claims
Lammy's second home expenses were published in March 2009 and they totalled £25,263 over a 5 year period, even though his first home is in London.[6] He now claims a London supplement of £2812 instead.
Trivia
Lammy appeared on the British TV programme Mastermind over Christmas 2008. He scored 8 points on his specialist subject, Muhammed Ali, but performed poorly in the general knowledge round.
Personal life
He is married to Nicola Green and lives in Harringay.
References
- ^ "Culture Minister David Lammy's Keynote Speech to ‘Slavery: Unfinished Business’ Conference". http://www.davidlammy.co.uk/da/55676.
- ^ "BBC News: Head-to-head: Slavery 'sorrow'". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6186980.stm.
- ^ Time Out - London's slave trade
- ^ Daily Telegraph - The arts column: sinister shadow falls over arts funding
- ^ YouTube - Clip of BBC Election 2005 coverage
- ^ Four ministers facing questions over second homes. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2009-03-28.
External links
- David Lammy official website
- Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: David Lammy MP
- Guardian Unlimited Politics – Analysis of Lammy's position on key votes
- TheyWorkForYou.com – David Lammy MP
- The Public Whip – David Lammy's voting record
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by new position |
Member of the London Assembly (London-wide list) May 2000–July 2000 |
Succeeded by Jennette Arnold |
| Preceded by Bernie Grant |
Member of Parliament for Tottenham 2000–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Christopher Leslie |
Baby of the House 2000–2003 |
Succeeded by Sarah Teather |
| Political offices
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| Preceded by Estelle Morris Minister for the Arts |
Minister for Culture 2005-2007 |
Succeeded by Margaret Hodge Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism |
| Preceded by Bill Rammell |
Minister of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 2008–present |
Incumbent |
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