David Lammy MP

David Lammy MP has been representing Hackney’s Woodberry Down and Brownswood wards since July 2024

David Lammy MP inside Hackney Town Hall

“Blackness is as rare in the House of Commons as it is in an Alpine ski resort,” says David Lammy, MP for Tottenham – who has also been representing Hackney’s Woodberry Down and Brownswood wards since last year’s general election.

“As an MP I have tried to address the inequalities of class and geography as well as ethnicity,” he adds.

David was first elected to Parliament in 2000, at the age of 27. Twenty-five years later he became Britain’s first ever Black Deputy Prime Minister.

David says: “I’ve never really liked the word ‘politician’, I think ‘representative’ is a much better phrase because being an MP is actually about representing people’s interests.

“I’ve tried every single day of my public life to keep in mind the people I represent and to bring their voices to Parliament.

“I realised very early, I must have been nine or 10 years old, I had the gift of the gab. I was quite argumentative, I liked ideas, I liked advocacy – and so that led me first to law.

“But I found myself asking policy questions: why is this young man in prison? Why has that small business gone bankrupt? And that leads you to bigger ideas.”

David played a key role in forcing the Windrush Scandal onto the political agenda in 2018 – a moment, he says, where he realised he’d “made a representative connection.”

David recalls: “A young person asked me ‘can I have a photo of you because my gran would be so happy because you stood up for us’? I get emotional thinking about it. You can’t bottle that.”

David Lammy MP looks up at Hackney's Windrush sculpture, ‘Warm Shores,’ by Thomas J Price

Unfortunately David has also seen first-hand the erosion of trust in politics since becoming an MP at the turn of the century.

He explains: “I worry that despite living in an age where we’re apparently super connected, through social media and the ubiquity of the internet, we are incredibly disconnected.

“We are seeing, particularly with some of the online hate, a dehumanisation of people who contribute through public service.

“Bridging that is important – and that starts at neighbourhood level. It’s important that people recognise that I have become their local MP and my office is here if there are issues you think I can help with.

“All politics start at the neighbourhood level. I love the idea of the Town Hall, especially impressive ones like Hackney, which is literally at the epicentre of the local neighbourhood.

“In an age of massive geopolitical tension, global conflict and strife that can get lost. I lament the austerity years – we should never forget the brunt born by local authorities.

“Our libraries, our refuse collection, our youth services and youth centres are the lifeblood of the local community. There’s much to do to renew it to what it can and should be.”

In his own constituency, the Woodberry Down Estate is currently undergoing one of the biggest regeneration projects in Europe. Some 6,000 new homes, including more than 1,300 social homes and 1,300 homes for shared ownership are being built.

David says: “I love the transformation of Woodberry Down. I think that the wetlands are some of the best examples of renewal and regeneration in London. They are a modern sanctuary, an oasis in London.

“I’ve known Hackney all my life. I think the motif ‘Love Hackney’ sums it up for me really. There’s a big pride in the borough, in the local community, and it makes the place quite special.”