David Lammy

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

MP David Lammy posing with an early medieval skillet at the Museum of London.
Incumbent
Assumed office 
29 June 2007
Preceded by New Position
Member of Parliament
for Tottenham
Incumbent
Assumed office 
22 June 2000
Preceded by Bernie Grant
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
Born 19 July 1972 (1972-07-19) (age 35)
Tottenham
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Alma mater School of Oriental and African Studies, Harvard Law School

David Lindon Lammy (born July 19, 1972) is a British politician and the Member of Parliament for Tottenham.

Lammy was born in Tottenham, a working-class area of North London, and brought up by his mother after his father left the family. He won an Inner London Education Authority choral scholarship to The King's School, Peterborough and studied for a degree in law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and then took a Masters degree at Harvard Law School, the first black Briton to do so.

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]

He is married to Nicola Green and lives in Harringay.

Contents

[edit] 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 June 22, 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.

[edit] Political controversy

On general election night in 2005 he controversially dubbed George Galloway MP, leader 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 war in Iraq, of which Lammy was a vocal supporter, and its impact on community relations, which was a key issue for Galloway's Respect party.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Culture Minister David Lammy's Keynote Speech to ‘Slavery: Unfinished Business’ Conference.
  2. ^ BBC News: Head-to-head: Slavery 'sorrow'.
  3. ^ Time Out - London's slave trade
  4. ^ Daily Telegraph - The arts column: sinister shadow falls over arts funding
  5. ^ YouTube - Clip of BBC Election 2005 coverage

[edit] External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
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
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
new position		 Member of the London Assembly (London-wide list)
May 2000–July 2000		 Succeeded by
Jennette Arnold