Guyanese Roots David Lammy Makes History As UK’s First Black PM

By NAN News Editor

News Americas, LONDON, England, Fri. Sept. 5, 2025: David Lammy, the son of Guyanese immigrants who built their lives in Britain, has etched his name into history as the first Black Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and its new Justice secretary. His appointment, following the resignation of Angela Rayner in a tax scandal, is not only a political reshuffle but also a profound moment of representation for the Caribbean Diaspora.

From Guyana to North London

Lammy was born in 1972 at Whittington Hospital in Archway, North London, to Guyanese parents David and Rosalind Lammy. His parents, like many from Guyana and the wider Caribbean, migrated to the UK seeking opportunities promised in the era following World War II. They joined the community of Windrush descendants who would shape Britain’s cultural and political fabric for generations.

Raised in Tottenham, Lammy’s early life was far from easy. His father left when he was just 12, leaving his mother to raise five children on her own. That upbringing in a working-class Caribbean household profoundly influenced his values. He has often credited his mother’s resilience, faith, and insistence on education as the foundation for his career.

“The lessons I carry are Guyanese lessons,” Lammy once told an interviewer. “You work hard, you give back, and you never forget where you come from.”

A Guyanese Heritage Intertwined With British Politics

Lammy has long embraced his dual identity. He holds both British and Guyanese citizenship, and his family history stretches back to Guyana’s complex story of migration. His great-grandmother migrated to Guyana from India as part of the indenture system, tying Lammy’s roots to both the African and Indian diasporas that make up Guyana’s multi-ethnic identity.

This layered heritage, he has said, gave him an innate understanding of injustice and resilience. It has also fueled his advocacy for Caribbean immigrants in Britain, especially during the Windrush scandal, when thousands of legal Caribbean residents were wrongfully targeted by immigration authorities.

Education and Early Firsts

Lammy’s talent and determination opened doors. At the age of 10, he won a choral scholarship to sing at Peterborough Cathedral, later attending The King’s School, Peterborough. He studied law at SOAS, University of London, and in 1994 was called to the bar.

But his biggest “first” came in 1997 when he became the first Black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, where he earned a Master of Laws degree. That milestone made headlines in both Britain and the Caribbean, where Lammy was celebrated as a son of Guyanese soil making history abroad.

Political Rise

Lammy entered Parliament in 2000 at just 27, winning the Tottenham by-election after the passing of veteran MP Bernie Grant, another trailblazer of Caribbean descent. In his early years, he served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, holding portfolios ranging from public health to higher education.

After a decade on the backbenches, Lammy returned to prominence under Labour leader Keir Starmer, serving as Shadow Foreign Secretary before being appointed Foreign Secretary in 2024. His appointment as Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary, and Lord Chancellor in September 2025 represents the pinnacle of a career defined by persistence and advocacy.

Symbolism for Guyana and the Diaspora

Lammy’s appointment resonates far beyond Westminster. In Guyana, commentators have hailed the achievement as a “Diaspora triumph,” a reminder that the Caribbean continues to shape leadership on the global stage. Across the Caribbean and its Diaspora in North America, Lammy’s rise is being celebrated as proof that the children of Caribbean migrants can ascend to the very top of British politics.

For Lammy himself, it is also personal. He has often spoken about how his heritage shaped his politics — from his insistence on addressing inequality in the justice system to his calls for reparative justice for slavery and colonialism. His leadership, he argues, is not just about representation but about reshaping the systems that excluded people like his parents.

A Historic Moment With Caribbean Roots

David Lammy’s story — from a Tottenham boy raised by a single Guyanese mother to the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom — is one of perseverance, identity, and heritage. It is also a reminder of the Caribbean’s deep and lasting impact on global politics.

For Guyana, his appointment is not simply symbolic. It is a proud moment of recognition that its sons and daughters continue to help shape the destiny of nations far beyond its borders.