Reading international law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London was a wonderful experience. With its incredibly diverse student population, I began to immerse myself in the ways social, legal and political forces contribute to human rights and freedoms. David Lammy Read Quote
Cities can be paradoxical places. In the mornings they buzz with commuters, in the evenings they come alive with diners and partygoers, at weekends the streets fill with shoppers and market traders. But amidst the hustle and bustle, even the greatest city can be a lonely place. David Lammy Read Quote
Throughout her life my mother, Rose, prayed for good health. My father left when I was 12 and money was tight, so she couldn’t afford to take time off work. I have a younger sister and three older brothers, and she used to panic that we’d be taken into care if she wasn’t able to look after us. David Lammy Read Quote
We should not let those with a political agenda use London’s growing population to support their anti-immigration rhetoric, and we should challenge those who want to label London’s global attraction a flaw rather than a strength. David Lammy Read Quote
I grew up under Thatcher; the era of apartheid; the era of the poll tax; the era of riots. I remember Neil Kinnock was a hero. David Lammy Read Quote
I have very eclectic tastes. I love soul and Motown; I listen to some rap – Stormzy, Tinie Tempah, Drake. I also love classical music, American country and the folk tradition. I often start the day with gospel on my way to work. The only thing I have never got into is punk. David Lammy Read Quote
Mum was born in 1938 in Guyana and came to Britain at the end of the 60s. She settled in Tottenham, north London, and worked for London Transport and then as a home help, a care assistant and finally a local authority officer. Bringing up five children singlehandedly with little money can’t have been easy, but she did it with tremendous style. David Lammy Read Quote
The great thing about running is that so often you wake up and you think: ‘I really don’t feel like this.’ And even when you’re up and out, that first kilometre is tough. But then once you get to 3km and you’re getting to the end of the run, it’s really fantastic. David Lammy Read Quote
My father was a taxidermist, not a run-of-the-mill profession for a West Indian immigrant. Having given up on becoming a vet, he settled for working with dead animals rather than live ones. Dad was a true craftsman, an artist. David Lammy Read Quote
Mum eventually graduated with a City & Guilds certificate that hung proudly on our living room wall throughout my childhood. David Lammy Read Quote
