Quote:Early life and education

Lammy was born in Tottenham, North London, to Guyanese parents[3] David and Rosalind Lammy.[4] He and his four siblings were brought up by his mother, after his father walked out on the family when he was 12. Lammy never saw him again, but has often spoken about the impact that this had on his life. Lammy advocates positive parenting, often speaking publicly about the importance of fathers and the need to support them in seeking to be active in the lives of their children. He chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fatherhood and has written frequently on the issue.[5][6][7]

Lammy grew up in Tottenham, next to the Broadwater Farm estate. Having attended a local primary school, at the age of 10 he was awarded an Inner London Education Authority choral scholarship to The King's School, Peterborough - an event he has described as his 'X-Factor moment'.[8] Growing up, Lammy worked in KFC and as a security guard to help the family get by. He studied law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, obtaining a first-class degree. Lammy went on to become the first black Briton to study at Harvard University when he won a place to study an LL.M. at Harvard Law School. He is a member of Lincoln's Inn having been called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1994 and practiced as a barrister for several years.