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Revision as of 17:12, 29 October 2010 by 194.60.38.198 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For the Scottish Member of Parliament from Ayrshire, see David Lambie.| The Right Honourable David Lammy MP | |
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 MP David Lammy posing with an early medieval skillet at the Museum of London. | |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Succeeded by | Siôn Simon |
| 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 (age 52) Tottenham |
| Nationality | British |
| 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 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 and because he suspects there were slaves amongst his ancestors.
Early life
Lammy was born in Tottenham, a working-class area of North London, to Guyanese parents and brought up by his mother after his father left the family. Lammy has stated that it is his single parent background why he has become one of the most vocal advocate's of positive parenting and has publicly called for fathers to be active and not absent in the lives of their children . David Lammy's project 'Black Fatherhood in the 21st Century' attempted to redefine and refocus the debate on fatherhood particularly within the black working class community, with the support of prominent black figures such as Kwame Kwei Armah, Sir Trevor McDonald, and Rev Nims Obunge, to challenge the perception that there are few positive and high achieving Black men in Britain.
Education
Mr.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, University of London. After obtaining a first class degree Mr.Lammy then went onto study 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). Lammy's electoral victory lead many to hail him as a future British Prime Minister in waiting .
Ministerial Career
Not long after his election Lammy 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.Daily Telegraph - The arts column: sinister shadow falls over arts funding
On 29 June 2007, Lammy 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 Lord Mandelson. Lammy was transferred to the department to continue his previous role as the Minister for Higher Education. Lammy was the Minister for Higher Education during a difficult period inwhich British universities were calling for increases in tuition fee's against the wishes of the student movement lead by the National Union of Students.
Backbench, 2010 onwards
In the 2010 May elections Labour were removed from power leading to the resignation of Gordon Brown MP, with Ed Miliband MP being installed as Labour Leader after winning a long leadership contest. During the Labour leadership contest David Lammy MP nominated Diane Abbott, to allow the first Woman and Black Minority Ethnic candidate to run for leader of one of the main British political parties although ended up supporting David Miliband.
Although Lammy has since released statements of support for the incoming Labour leader Ed Miliband, Lammy rejected a job in the Shadow Cabinet Committee offered by Ed Miliband stating 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..
David Lammy MP has since spoken against the rising inequality, unemployment, and has criticised the Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition's removal of Educational Maintenance Allowance's (that supported the education of 3,689 teenagers in Lammy's borough) .
Ken Livingstone's Campaign for the Labour Mayoral Candidacy
In 2010 Lammy pledged his support behind Ken Livingstone's bid to become the Labour London Mayoral candidate, declaring him 'London's Mayor in waiting' despite rumours that Lammy himself would run . Lammy became Livingstone's selection campaign chair.
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". 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.
Expenses claims
The Sir Thomas Legg inquiry cleared David of any over-claiming of his Parliamentary Allowances. . Lammy allowed local people to review his expense claims in May 2009.. David's full expenses are listed on the Parliament website .
Personal life
He is married to Nicola Green and is a devoted Christian. Lammy continues to be involved with charities in 2010 he hosted the launch of GFEST, London's Gay Arts Festival, and has volunteered in Haiti, Rwanda, and Thailand .
References
- "Culture Minister David Lammy's Keynote Speech to 'Slavery: Unfinished Business' Conference".
- "BBC News: Head-to-head: Slavery 'sorrow'". 27 November 2006. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- Time Out - London's slave trade
- David Lammy's website
- YouTube - Clip of BBC Election 2005 coverage
- http://www.davidlammy.co.uk/sitedata/PDFS/151408.PDF
- http://www.davidlammy.co.uk/opening_my_expenses_to_public_scrutiny
- http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/david-lammy/
- Curtis, Polly (18 November 2008). "High expectations". The Guardian. London.
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 bynew position | Member of the London Assembly (London-wide list) May 2000–July 2000 |
Succeeded byJennette Arnold |
| Preceded byChris Leslie | Baby of the House 2000–2003 |
Succeeded bySarah Teather |
| Political offices
| ||
| Preceded byEstelle Morris Minister for the Arts |
Minister for Culture 2005-2007 |
Succeeded byMargaret Hodge Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism |
- 1972 births
- Alumni of the School of Oriental and African Studies
- Harvard Law School alumni
- Labour MPs (UK)
- Living people
- Labour Members of the London Assembly
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- People from Harringay
- People from Tottenham
- UK MPs 1997–2001
- UK MPs 2001–2005
- UK MPs 2005–2010
- Black British politicians
- English people of Guyanese descent
- UK MPs 2010–