David Lammy

Labour MP for Tottenham and former lawyer, David Lammy is an intelligent, assured and articulate speaker on politics and current affairs. He was previously the Minister of State at the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. Drawing on his personal story, David promotes the power of education to change lives; he encourages young people, especially those under-represented at many top universities, to achieve their academic potential.

Labour MP for Tottenham and former lawyer, David Lammy is an intelligent, assured and articulate speaker on politics and current affairs.

Drawing on his motivational personal story – from one of five children raised by a single mother in Tottenham to Harvard Law School graduate - he promotes the power of education to change lives; he strives to encourage young people, especially those under-represented at many top universities, to achieve their academic potential.

Until the 2010 election, David served as a Minister of State at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills for two years. In this role, he was responsible for adult learning and offender learning and skills.

At 11 years of age, David won a scholarship as a chorister to attend a state choral school at The Kings School in Peterborough; he eventually returned to London in 1990 to study at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Law School.

Admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in 1994, David became the first black Briton to study a Masters in Law at the Harvard Law School. After graduating in 1997, David worked as a lawyer in London and Los Angeles.

Upon returning to England, David entered the world of politics and stood as a Labour candidate for the newly created Greater London Assembly, securing a position as the GLA member with a portfolio for Culture and Arts. Following the sad death of Tottenham’s longstanding MP Bernie Grant, David was elected as Labour MP for Tottenham at the age of 27 in 2000.

David served 9 years (2001-10) as a Minister in the last Labour government and was made a Privy Councillor in 2008. Since 2010, he has been an active backbench MP.

He is the author of Out of the Ashes: Britain after the riots (2011), which expounds on the reasons behind the 2011 riots and what has to be done to prevent them happening ever again. The author proceeds of the book are being donated to Tottenham-based charities. He has authored countless articles for national newspapers, including the Guardian, the Independent, the New Statesman and the Spectator.

Passionate and driven, David’s political background and motivational story make him an excellent speaker to give an outline of the changing landscape of today’s politics.